


Don't Judge a Book By Its Cover

by MaryRosalea



Series: Leah Jackson [1]
Category: Doctor Who, Sarah Jane Adventures, Torchwood
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-27
Updated: 2016-05-01
Packaged: 2018-05-16 17:21:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 23,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5834089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaryRosalea/pseuds/MaryRosalea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor get recognized by a girl he's never met before, nothing new for him since his life doesn't happen in the right order. But she claims she's never met him either. So how does she know who he is? And is she really what she appears?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Oh, wait! It Doesn't Work!

She didn't know what to do. What was she going to tell her friends? How was she ever going to look them in the face again? Never in her life had she felt so terrible. She had just been reading him a story, his favorite story, one of the adventures in the "Journal of Impossible Things". Then those stupid aliens came and abducted him. What did they want with him anyway? He was a normal human baby. Nothing special about him that would catch their eye. It just didn't make any sense.  
  
Finally she stood up and headed to the phone. She was going to call her best friend and tell her that her child was gone. Just as she grabbed the phone, she heard it. That wonderful sound she had heard so many times, the sound of salvation.  
  
She ran outside and saw that beautiful blue box she had only seen in drawings and heard stories about. And what stories they were. She rushed over to it just in time to see a man that in appearance didn't seem to be much older than her, but she of all people knew appearances weren't what they seem. He was wearing that bow tie he was famous for and she had to fight back a laugh when she pictured him in a fez. She straightened up when she remembered what it was she needed from him.  
  
"Doctor." She called him and he turned at the sound of his name.  
  
"Yes. Hello, that's me. Sorry, have we met?" he asked clearly confused.  
  
"Nope, never. I know who you are though, and I need your help."  
  
"Well if you know who I am, why don't you tell me where we are?" He asked looking around trying to get a handle on his surroundings. He thought he had landed in Wales, but she had an American accent, that just didn't fit.  
  
"We're in Cardiff, May 7, 2013. Now listen, I was babysitting and they took him. It was horrible!" She tried to get his attention back to the matter at hand.  
  
"Kidnapping. Why do you need me? Call the police." He shrugged. What could he do about a kidnapping? But more importantly, how did this woman know who he was?  
  
"Ha, like the police could help me!" she replied doubtfully.  
  
"Why not? Kidnapping, they handle this all the time."  
  
"I highly doubt police in 21st century Cardiff will be able to take on Sontarans, but if you'd like to see we could call them in this lovely police box." She went to the front of the box and opened the phone latch and pretended she was about to make a call on it.  
  
"Oh wait, it doesn't work!" she angrily slammed the phone back down and closed the latch. She then felt guilty for being so violent with the TARDIS and apologized and stroked it.  
  
"What do Sontarans want with a _human ___baby?" That just wasn't normal. And why was this woman stroking the TARDIS? And how did she know about Sontarans? And she referred to the 21st century as if she had been from, or at least visited, another.  
  
"Your guess is as good as mine. But if we don't find out fast, Alfie could be in a lot of trouble."  
  
"Alfie?" Now why did that name sound familiar?  
  
She smirked. Yep, finally got his attention.  
  
"Yea, Alfie Owens. But I think you know him better as Stormageddon, Dark Lord of all."


	2. You Sexy Thing!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leah is inside the TARDIS! 0_0

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not going to go through correcting this story since it's already been posted in it's entirety. I'm just putting it here to see if anyone reads it. If you see mistakes, please let me know!

He was in the console room of the TARDIS tracking the signal to the Sontaran ship. The girl, Leah Jackson she was called, was roaming around the TARDIS. Now she was a mystery. She knew who he was, knew the TARDIS was bigger on the inside before she came inside. That annoyed him. He liked the bit where people said it was bigger on the inside.  
  
And how did she know so much? She said she was Alfie's babysitter, but how did she know he liked to be called Stormageddon? He would still be too young to talk. And she simply knew too much about the Doctor and the TARDIS in general.  
  
She reminded him of someone, of several someone's actually. She had Rose's blond hair and pink skin, Jack's American accent, Donna's straightforwardness and lightness of heart. She had Amy's way of looking at him, like she had known about him her whole life and was just now getting to see the person she had looked up to for so many years. Then of course there was the way she looked at him like she knew more than he did, only River ever looked at him like this. But she couldn't be River; she had used up all her regenerations.  
  
Then there was that something, that feeling he only got when he was around…no. That was ridiculous, it couldn't be her.  
  
"You need to re-bleach the pool." She blundered back into the console and plopped herself down on a seat.  
  
"Sorry?" Was she completely daft? Her charge was just kidnapped by alien soldiers and she was on about something to do with the pool? And did she go for a swim? Her hair was wet now.  
  
"The swimming pool? In the library? It's due for another round of chlorine."  
  
"Who are you? The swimming pool police?" she threw her hands up in defense.  
  
"Sorry. Was just letting you know. I spent a summer cleaning pools in Kansas." She defended.  
  
"Yes, you're American. What are you doing living in Cardiff?" finally he could get the answer to one of the questions that was bothering him concerning this woman of mystery.  
  
She got a sad, distant look on her face, like she was remembering something horrible.  
  
"Had an accident so I moved here in 2006. Lived in a group home for a little while and was adopted by a nice family here in Cardiff." She brightened up a bit and smiled. "They're called Jones, I got an older sister and two older brothers out of the deal. Much better than living in a group home, let me tell you, and I should know. I lived in three."  
  
"And how do you know Craig?" One mystery down, how many more could he get out of the way?  
  
"His wife Sofie is my best mate. Her sister Anne married my adoptive brother, Dave. I'm Stormy's best friend."  
  
"Do they call him that now? Stormy?" Maybe Craig just finally accepted that that's what Alfie wanted to be called and it became a nickname for the boy.  
  
Her face lit up as it broke out into a wide grin.  
  
"No, only me. I have low level telepathy I was born with, so I speak baby. He told me that he prefers to be called Stormageddon so that's what I call him. Sometimes I shorten it to Stormy."  
  
"And are you one of his peasants?" he asked disdainfully. Someone else who could speak baby and have conversations with Alfie, it made him feel less special, less…unique. And that was not something he was used to.  
  
She got that sad look in her eye again, but this time it was accompanied with a sad smile.  
  
"No, he calls me Empress of the Daylight. It took me months for him to understand the concept that he couldn't just keep referring to Craig as Not-Mum. But he still calls everyone who is not directly family, peasants. I swear one day that boy might just grow up to marry a princess just so the take-over of Britain will be in his grasp. Heard Princess Katherine's pregnant, you mark my words, he'll find a way into her social circle." She suddenly grew very serious. "That boy means the world to me and we are going to save him."  
  
"Well of course we are! The TARDIS has already found the ship that took him and we are on our way."  
  
"Just make sure you land in a time where Stormy is on board. You are rubbish at flying this thing."  
  
"I am brilliant at flying the TARDIS! She is MY ship!"  
  
"Right, that's why you failed the driving test, because you're brilliant." Leah jumped out of her seat and ran to look at the display on the screen. She smiled wide and kissed the monitor.  
  
"Oh, locked on to Stormy himself. You ARE a sexy thing!" she shouted while still stroking the console.  
  
"And how do you know that she's called Sexy?" he squeaked. He once again looked around the room as if he expected someone to be there. He leaned in and whispered "I only call her that when we are alone!"  
  
"Save Alfie now! Talk later!"  
  
She grabbed his hand and ran out of the TARDIS, and right onto the Sontaran ship. The captain of the ship walked up to them.  
  
"Doctor, now that you're here you can see the Sontarans rise to victory!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment if you have a guess as to who Leah is!
> 
> Kudos because I feed off of them!


	3. Stormaggedon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's go save Stomaggedon from some Sontarans!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm straight up telling you that this chapter is possibly one of the worst within the story. I suck at writing Sontarans. As well as, the fact that I leave a story line completely unresolved for the purpose of moving on with my intended story!! Wait...why does that sound familiar? 
> 
> Anyway, I promise if you make wade through the crap that is this chapter, you should be fine for the rest of the story. It gets better, I promise!
> 
> Also, I just remembered that when I wrote this story that little italic line at the beginning of the chapters are supposed to work like the "Previously on," teaser at the beginning of episodes...just go with it!
> 
> Also, also, the italics throughout the chapter are thoughts. Leah is telepathic and can speak to Alfie that way. As well as another character later...

_She grabbed his hand and ran out of the TARDIS, and right onto the Sontaran ship. The captain of the ship walked up to them. ___

_"Doctor, now that you're here you can see the Sontarans rise to victory!" ___

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They quickly surveyed the situation. They could see Alfie sitting in the middle of the control room hooked up to some type of machine. Leah was trying to figure out if she had ever seen a machine like that before, but before she could form a complete thought the Doctor was already talking.

"Yes, hello." He was walking up to the captain, but still looking all over the ship as he walked, finally landing his eyes on Alfie and the machine. "Hello, Stormy! How have you been? Yes, well, probably not that well, seeing as how you were just abducted and thrown on to this ship." He then turned his attention back to the captain. "Why have you abducted him? He's just a human baby, nothing significant enough for the Sontarans to take notice of."

"Doctor, I am General Roxx. We plan to raise the child in our militant environment until his mental maturity. We have observed that humans are quite resourceful in their war efforts."

"Yes, they are, but no more so than any other race in the universe. And you're Sontarans, much more superior militia skills than that of any human, especially one that you raise yourselves where the only technology he'll even know is yours to begin with."

"This child has been prophesied to have a great mind in the art of war that exceeds that of other human scum."

"Why? What is so special about this baby that sets him apart from the rest of the universe?" 

At this point the Doctor turned around to look at Leah. "And why aren't you acting offended?"

She looked at him confused. "I'm sorry, should I be?"

The Doctor walked up to her and started looking her up and down trying to see what he could read from her face.

"He just insulted your species and called them all human scum."

"Oh, right." She thought up a quick explanation. "First of all, it is definitely not the first time in my life that I have been insulted, probably not the last. I've grown quite used to it. Also, most aliens do like to insult species when they are upset. You and me here to retrieve the child they just kidnapped, I'd bet that general isn't exactly in the best of spirits."

"Probably not." He nodded sharply and spun around so that he was facing General Roxx again. 

"What prophecy? Since when do prophecies care about humans? And you still haven't answered my question as to why this particular human stands out from the rest?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It didn't take Leah long to notice that the Doctor had slipped his sonic screwdriver into her hand and she set about going to the machine Alfie was sitting in.

"Hello, my sweet boy." She said as she reached him and started fiddling with the locks.

_"My Empress, where are we? And why is the Doctor here?" ___

"Give me one second, Dearheart, and I'll explain it all when we get inside the TARDIS."

She flinched slightly at hearing the conversation the Doctor was having with Roxx about why they chose to kidnap Alfie, so it was all her fault after all.

She finished with the last of the locks and quickly picked Alfie up and headed straight inside the TARDIS.

_"Empress, we're here! In the blue box! The bigger on the inside blue box from all the bedtime stories you tell me!" ___

She set him down on a flat surface of the console and started checking him for any injury he might have got while being taken. When she was satisfied that he was ok she finally answered his question.

"Yes, Darling, we are. Now you're going to have to be a brave boy for me. You were kidnapped by aliens. Sontarans, like the ones in the stories you remember?"

_"Yes, but why me?" ___

"I can't tell you that, Stormy. I'm so sorry. But the Doctor is taking care of them right now, and then we'll have you safe and sound back home with your parents, all right?"

_"You're going to leave me aren't you? You're going to go with the Doctor, just like you always said you would if he ever showed up." ___

"I haven't decided yet. Didn't exactly meet him under expected circumstances, did I? Been busy worrying about you. But no matter what happens, I will always come back for you. You are my Dark Lord after all."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"This child has been exposed to a child of Gallifrey during its formidable years. He will certainly be of better use to us than to the humans that bore him. They will simply see him as an outsider. We can nurture his genius and mold it to be used as one of our greatest weapons."

"Nurture? You were going to nurture him, and then turn him into a weapon. Well, that's a completely rubbish plan."

"How so?"

"Well, you wouldn't know nurturing if it came up and bit you on your potato head." The Doctor said as he poked the general on said potato head. "Also, I gave my screwdriver to Leah while we were talking earlier and she's already freed Alfie and taken safely into the TARDIS."

At this, General Roxx turned around and noticed in horror that the Doctor was telling the truth and that the child and woman were nowhere in sight. The Doctor continued to talk and got his attention back.

"Now, you're not going to come back for him or I'm going to have to blow up your entire ship, that child is friend of mine and so are his parents. So if you value your lives you will leave them all alone and answer my question."

"What question?"

"What prophecy? You said Alfie was in a prophecy which one?"

"I've never heard the exact name, it's just been passed down for so long in my people that it was almost considered a fairy tale until our scanners showed readings that indicated that the prophesied child lived in the house from which we abducted the human boy."

"Right then, off you go. You have 2 minutes before I hit this button, and shoot your ship out of the sky."

Roxx watched the TARDIS' dematerialization sequence finish before he ordered the ship to return home. Today was not the day to challenge the Doctor over a fairy tale.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Told ya it was bad! What's up with that prophecy? What's gonna happen to Stormy now? Will I make a sequel about that one day? The world will never know!! 
> 
> Comments, Kudos, Tales of woe?


	4. Too Many Coincidences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter we say a temporary goodbye to the Owens family. And Leah vagues up her life a little more as the Doctor tries to learn more about her, and you might be completely sick of the word coincidence by the end of this chapter, I'm sorry. Hope you guys are still interested in this story. Enjoy

The Doctor quickly ran into the TARDIS and landed it in the Owens' back garden where Craig and Sofie were quickly running out to from inside the house. The Doctor stepped out followed by Leah who was carrying Alfie.

"Craig! Sofie!" The Doctor quickly hugged his friends who he hadn't seen in awhile. "I've just been out with your nanny. We took Stormy for a trip. Lovely time."

Sofie quickly released herself from the Doctor's embrace and ran to Leah and took Alfie in her arms. "What happened? I got a call on my mobile from the house and when I picked up you didn't answer and I was just listening to an empty line!"

"I'm sorry, Sofie, Craig, but there were these aliens, and they came and took Alfie. That's when I called you, but then I heard the TARDIS and I ran for the Doctor to help me."

Craig was starting to get irritated. "My son was kidnapped by aliens and you just happened to show up within the next 10 minutes? Doctor, I'm not in a hurry so it's very hard to ignore this coincidence."

"Right, well, I actually don't have an answer to that. It was a genuine coincidence." He tried to explain to Craig and calm him down. Then he turned and looked at Leah. "How did you know it was me?"

"What?" she was confused now.

"You said you were in the house and then you heard my TARDIS and knew you could ask for my help."

"I told you, Alfie and Craig have both told me about their encounters with you, there's only one thing in the universe that makes that sound Doctor, and you call her, Sexy."

"Sexy?" Craig smirked. Sofie had long ago gone back in the house with Alfie and now he was just watching the Doctor and Leah finally interact with each other. He knew it would be interesting, and he didn't pass up the rare opportunity he had to tease the Doctor alongside her.

The Doctor blushed. "I only call her that when we are alone. And how could you possibly know that?!"

"Telepathic remember? I talked to the TARDIS while I was inside. I'm going to go help Sofie with Stormy, you two boys catch up or something." At that she stormed inside the house.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Leah rushed up the stairs and into Alfie's room. She saw Sofie examining every inch of him the same way she had when she first got him into the TARDIS.

"Sofie, I am so sorry."

Sofie turned around to look at her friend. "I know that. It wasn't your fault. And he isn't hurt, so no harm done."

"Yeah, but it was my fault."

"Oh, please, Leah, we're not children. It wasn't your fault simply because you were the oldest person in the room at the time. Aliens do what they want when they want and to whom they want. There's no control over the matter."

_"She's right, Empress, it's not your fault. Please don't blame yourself. I'm home now." ___

"No, you both don't understand! It's because I can talk to him. That Sontaran, the one that kidnapped him, he said that the reason Alfie was so special was because he was exposed to a child of Gallifrey at such a young age."

"That would have happened with or without you. He already has spent some time with the Doctor. Besides, you've never actually been to Gallifrey." She tried to make her friend see reason, and if she couldn't see that, then at least the forgiveness in her own eyes to let Leah know that at least she didn't hold her responsible. "Now, what do you say let's go get you packed up."

"You're throwing me out?!" Leah was so confused; she thought that Sofie had forgiven her already.

"Oh, don't be ridiculous. We both know that the fact that the Doctor is standing outside right now in our back garden means that you are about to take off and go with him without taking 'No' for an answer. You've been waiting for this for years, ever since we told you we'd met him."

Leah chuckled, her friend knew her so well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Meanwhile, outside in the garden the Doctor decided to see what he could get out of Craig concerning Leah. But not before Craig did a little more teasing first.

"Only you, Doctor, could refer to a blue box as being sexy." He smirked.

"Oh, shut up!" The Doctor groaned. "Craig, what do you know about this woman? And why does she know so much about me? Surely you didn't tell her everything when we butted heads did you?"

"Of course not." Craig shook his head. "I haven't even told Sofie all of that madness. No, Leah's got her own story, and I'm sorry, Doctor, but it’s hers to tell." Craig clapped a hand on the Doctor's shoulder.

"But she won't tell me anything! She's so secretive, it's almost as if she's River. And believe me, I've considered it, only River used up all of her regenerations already."

He was pacing now, he couldn't think straight if he was standing still, and he needed to think; especially if Craig was going to be of no help to the situation. Who was this girl? She just knew too much, and Craig was right, there were one too many coincidences today. She was Alfie's babysitter, he was abducted by aliens, 10 minutes later he shows up, and she knew he would be able to help her. He once again wished his head was bigger so that it would have enough room to work this all out. Craig was trying to get his attention again.

"Hey, Doctor, slow down. Don't worry about it. She'll tell you in her own time."

The Doctor spun around to face him. "Yes, but when? It's not like I'm going to wait around here in your garden until she decides it's 'Share Time'."

"Didn't say you had to stay around here, mate." Craig crossed his arms and looked smugly at the Doctor.

"What do you mean?" The Doctor asked confused.

Just then Leah and Sofie came back out. Sofie was still holding Stormy and Leah had a bag over her shoulder, not much just a tote actually. Then she spoke up.

"He means I'm going with you." She said as she made her way to the TARDIS. "Bye, Sofie, Stormy, Craig. I'll see you soon, promise." Then she stepped inside.

The Doctor kept looking back and forth between where Leah had just disappeared into the TARDIS and Craig. "What just happened?"

"She's been waiting for you to show up for a while, mate. Finally happened, and she wasn't about to let the opportunity pass."

"Right then, guess I'll go start learning who Miss Leah Jackson is."

"You better hold on, Doctor, it's going to be a bumpy wumpy ride."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  

"So, where to for our first trip then?" Leah asked excitedly as the Doctor set the TARDIS to fly around the time vortex. He turned around to face her, and crossed his arms in front of him.

"First, I'm going to get a few answers."

"What do you want to know?" She leaned back ready to answer his questions.

"Who are you?"

"Leah Jackson, I said that already."

"Yes, but why do you know so much?"

"Doctor, if you keep asking the same questions, I'll keep giving the same answers. Definition of insanity…oh, wait, mad man with a box." She smirked.

"Right, okay, new questions then. Why is your bag so small?"

"Because it has everything I need."

"Craig said you've been planning for a long time to come travel with me, in all that time you figured that everything you needed could fit in that small bag?"

"I know about the TARDIS wardrobe, Doctor. Everything else the TARDIS will provide for me anyway. The only things I needed to pack were some sentimental things that can't be reproduced."

"Like what?"

"Personal effects, Doctor. Books mostly."

"TARDIS library has loads of books, you've seen them, how do you know I don't have the books you brought?"

There was that sad smile with the distant look again. "Because I know you, and I know you'd never carry these books. You hate repeats and endings, of which these books contain nothing but."

"The books are about me? Is that how you know so much?"

"Yes, and no. Look, Doctor, let's nip this interview in the bud shall we? I have never in my timeline met you until today. I only know about you through things, that yes I have read, and things that others have shared with me. I happen to live a life of coincidences where you're involved and know a few too many people who have come into contact with you over the years. I don't like playing the share game more than I have to. So, as we meet the people that we share acquaintance with I will reveal that part of my life. Deal?"

The Doctor considered everything she said. What was in those books that gave her so much information about his life? And who else did they know in common other than the Owens family? He hated coincidences and she was just a magnet for them. It didn't make any sense…How could he resist?

"Doctor, I said, 'Do we have a deal?'"

"Yeah, a deal. So, who shall we go visit first?"

"How about Captain Jack Harkness?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments?
> 
> Kudos?
> 
> Tales of Woe?


	5. You Know How NOT to Flirt?!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here's our first clue as to who she is. Everyone say hello to our favorite Captain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is very dialogue heavy, which means I'm not great at writing big scenes of adventure. Leah has lived a very confusing life, I might need a River diary of my own just to keep up with what I've mentioned in the stories already *wink*. Anyway, I hope you guys are still enjoying this story, and guessing about Leah.
> 
> P.S. I actually wrote this story about two years ago and am rereading it as I post it here. While I haven't thought about it in such a long time that I have nothing new to add, I promise you that my writing style has improved a great deal since I wrote this story so don't use it against me!

_"So who shall we go visit first?"  
"How about Captain Jack Harkness?" ___

_Jack was just walking into his flat when he heard the sound of the TARDIS engines. He whirled around to face it as it started to materialize in his living room. He had his famous smile on waiting to see him step out of that blue box with his trench coat and trainers; instead he saw a bowtie and boots and his smile fell._

_"You did it again? You just keep getting younger, don't you? I swear one day you're going to step out of that box and I'm going to see a toddler. And what's with the bowtie?"_

_"Hello, Captain Jack, how have you been? And bowties are cool!" He started to adjust his bowtie as he defended it. "Also, I've found a girl, says she knows you."_

_"Quite a few do." Jack smirked._

_"Oh, honestly! You don't even know who she is yet, and you're already flirting? Time and a place." The Doctor scoffed, praying that the way that Leah and Jack knew each other wasn't that they used to have a relationship. Though…knowing Jack…_

_"Oh, don't worry, Doctor, the Captain won't be flirting with me." Just then Leah stepped out of the TARDIS, and Jack's smile returned tenfold._

_"Leah! You did it!"_

_"I know! Oh, Jack, I have missed you!" she jumped into the embrace he had his arms spread out for since he saw her. This made the Doctor's brow furrow in confusion, a face he was making quite a lot since meeting Leah._

_"Sorry, did what?"_

_Jack and Leah broke their embrace but Jack still kept an arm around her waist. "She finally got to travel with you in the TARDIS, something she's been wanting to do for a very long time."_

_"Right, how long exactly?"_

_"Well, as long as I've known her and longer I'm pretty sure." Leah smiled as she noticed the Doctor trying to fish information out of Jack._

_"Nice try, Doctor, that's not how it works. The deal is I reveal a little bit about myself every time we meet a mutual acquaintance, and all you get to know is how they are a part of my life. No more, no less."_

_Jack looked surprised at her. "That's how you got him to let you come along? You held a puzzle of coincidences in front of his face and knew that he'd bite?"_

_"Yep, the perfect plan." She smirked. He kissed her on the cheek._

_"That's my girl."_

_"Right, so, we're here. You know Captain Jack, I know Captain Jack, I know how I know him, I assume you know how I know him. It's share time. How do you know him? Did you two used to date or something? Oh wait, you both live in Cardiff, are you still dating?"_

_They both burst out laughing. Leah finally spoke up._

_"No, Doctor, we are not now, nor have we ever dated. We aren't the couple-type of friends. I was 16 when I met Jack. We have some people that we know in common. There was an alien attack here a few years ago, and we lost those people. We were close before, but those losses brought us closer together. We've just never been interested in each other that way."_

_"Jack, you know how _not ___to flirt with someone?"_

__"16, Doc!" Jack screamed defending himself._ _

__"I have seen you flirt with every life form we have ever encountered together, and you expect me to know that you actually do have boundaries?"_ _

__Jack sighed, "I actually was in a serious relationship when I met Leah, and she was _16 ___, and first impressions seem to stick with me like that, so I just never had the need to flirt with her, she's just my best friend."_ _

___"I have a very clever brain, it can hold a lot of information, and it understands the most complex concepts in the universe. But I simply cannot fathom that you haven't ever flirted with this woman."_ _ _

___Leah chuckled. "Well, we flirt harmlessly, but there is absolutely no meaning behind it. It's true, neither of us have ever been attracted to each other."_ _ _

___"Hey!" Jack looked offended. "I said that I was never attracted to you because I still saw you as a child. You have obviously always had a childish puppy love crush on your older, highly attractive, male best friend."_ _ _

___She patted his cheek patronizingly, "Oh, Jack, I'm sorry. Yes, I'm absolutely, hopelessly in love with you, and am heartbroken that you will never requite my feelings." Even the Doctor snickered at the sarcasm in her voice. Jack decided to ignore the sarcasm and grinned._ _ _

___"That's alright, honey, I'll still always be your best friend." He rubbed your arm._ _ _

___"Thanks, I can continue to live." Jack finally made a snide face at her comments. "So what are you up to, nowadays, Jack?"_ _ _

___"Actually, I'm not up to much of anything. Ever since the 456, I've just been hanging around town, catching the occasional weevil every now and then." Jack shrugged._ _ _

___"What's a weevil?" the Doctor asked._ _ _

___Leah stepped in. "Oh, um, he just doesn't know the actual name for them, and at the moment I don't feel like trying to remember how it's pronounced. But it's that alien that you and Rose were chasing in a warehouse that time you meant that LINDA lot."_ _ _

___"And how could you possibly know about that? You can't possibly know Rose Tyler as well!" The Doctor was starting to get angry about her constant knowledge of his life._ _ _

___"No, I don't know Rose Tyler." She smiled sadly again. "Though Jack has mentioned her quite a bit and I wish I had known her, she was a very special girl. But I've read about her."_ _ _

___"Read? Where?" The Doctor was even more confused by her answer._ _ _

___She held up her finger as if telling them to wait a moment. She went into the TARDIS, and a moment later she came back out with the tote that she brought with her when she left the Owens' house. She pulled out a book that looked familiar to him. "Remember when you had to pretend to be human for a while and you still had dreams about your Time Lord life, and kept it all in a journal?"_ _ _

___"Yes, yes, Joan Redfern kept it and her granddaughter had it published."_ _ _

___"It's one of my favorite books, and when the people in my life started turning into people that are in your life I put the pieces together. Martha visited Jack at Torchwood once and she mentioned how the book was about you."_ _ _

___"Right, just another coincidence in your life that links you to mine. Your favorite book just happens to be a collection of stories about my life. Is that how you know so much about me?" He was pacing again, walking as fast as his thoughts were moving in his head._ _ _

___"It's only one of my favorite books, and only one of the many ways I know about stuff in your life. We had a deal, Doctor, you learn at a reasonable speed how we're connected. Because honestly, Doctor, it is what's best for you. You work best when your brain has a lot of time to process things like this. If I told it all to you at once, it wouldn't make any sense to you, or you would just overload. Trust me, I've had years to cope with it, and I still freak out sometimes!"_ _ _

___"Fine, we'll do this your way." He finally stopped pacing. "Where to next then?"_ _ _

___"One step at a time, Doctor." Leah turned to Jack. "Jack, what are you going to do for the rest of your life? Just chase weevils? That's a lousy way to spend eternity?"_ _ _

___"Well, there's no more Hub, no more Torchwood Three, what else can I do?" Jack shrugged._ _ _

___"You could travel with us!" Leah suggested happily._ _ _

___"No, no, no he can't! I'm the one who invites people to stay in the TARDIS; it's only your first day you can't go around inviting people to travel with us!" The Doctor was furious that she was inviting Jack to come along, he wasn't sure if he could stand watching Jack flirt around the Universe while he had to focus on who Leah Jackson really was._ _ _

___"Doctor, could you run into the TARDIS? I have another book I wanted to show you, but I left it on the desk in the library. Could you get it for me?" She smiled sweetly at him._ _ _

___"I'm not your running boy; I don't jump when you say how high!"_ _ _

___"You're right. I was trying to be polite about getting you out of the room. I would like a private goodbye with my friend who I haven't seen in awhile. Being nice didn't work, so now I'm telling you. Say 'goodbye' to Jack, Doctor, and I'll meet you in the TARDIS when I finish."_ _ _

___The Doctor pouted. "Fine, bye, Captain. See you again, one day." Then he stepped into the TARDIS glaring at them._ _ _

___Leah turned so that she was standing in front of Jack. She pulled a vortex manipulator out of her bag._ _ _

___"Where did you get that?" Jack asked surprised._ _ _

___"I've had it for a very long time. I'm sorry, I should have told you before, but I was hoping that the Doctor would just let you travel with us. Since he's not, I'm going to ask you to do something very important for me." She looked at him pleading me._ _ _

___He grabbed her upper arms and kissed her on the forehead. "Hey, of course I will. Anything you ask, you know that."_ _ _

___She looked back at the TARDIS to make sure that the Doctor wasn't going to come back out and over hear them. "The Doctor has a daughter. She's called Jenny. She was born by a genetic duplicator, and she was shot. But it was a new planet, Messaline, and the fresh terraforming brought her back to life after he left. He doesn't know she's still alive, out there looking for him. Could you take this and look for her, please. I promise that eventually we'll all find each other again, but I can't get him to look for her, he doesn't trust me enough yet."_ _ _

___Jack listened to everything she had to say and then nodded his head once. "Like I said, I'll do anything you ask of me. But how do you know she's alive and looking for him?"_ _ _

___She gave her sad smile, the one he was used to getting whenever he asked her a question that he wasn't going to get the whole answer to. "I'm actually not sure. It's just one of those things that I know, but don't remember how I know. You know how weird my brain is when it comes to Doctor knowledge."_ _ _

___He gave her a hug. "I know it's confusing for you, sweetie. Well, now you get to see the confusion spread all over the Doc's face as he learns about you. Then maybe you'll finally tell me your whole story." He winked cheekily, then kissed her on the cheek and hugged her goodbye. "Alright, I'll look for this Jenny girl, and I'll see you again, soon, yeah?"_ _ _

___"Yeah." She smiled and hugged him back. "She's blond, by the way."_ _ _

___"Of course she is. My life is run by blonds."_ _ _

___They both laughed and she went back into the TARDIS where the Doctor was once again tinkering on the console._ _ _

___"I'm going to go catch some sleep. It's been a long day, more learning tomorrow, yeah?" She was already walking down the corridor not even waiting for a reply._ _ _

___She opened the door to her room and started thinking about her visit with Jack. She had given him her vortex manipulator because she knew the Doctor wouldn't fix his willingly. She had had it since her mother left her alone all those years ago. She hated having to use it, it always made her sick. She wasn't made for time travel that wasn't inside a TARDIS._ _ _

___She really didn't know how she knew anything about Jenny. Her brain worked very odd like that. She had knowledge that was just there, no explanation or memories behind it. They weren't always there. Sometimes random tid bits just appeared at times where they ended up being of use._ _ _

___Like Jenny. She didn't know anything about her until today. As soon as they set the TARDIS to visit Jack, she was just bombarded with the knowledge of what happened to her, almost like she could hear someone whispering it to her. The voice told her all about Jenny and that Jack and to be the one to find her._ _ _

___She fell on her bed, the TARDIS had replicated her room from the flat she had while she was at University. Not the one she went to on Earth, the other one…the one none of her friends knew she went to. She loved all of her friends and family in Britain, but her life was just never the same after she left that University. She fell into a peaceful sleep when she noticed that the TARDIS had also duplicated the scent from the flat._ _ _

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

___ _

___"Right, who are we gonna visit now?" The Doctor asked as soon as she reentered the console room after her rest, wishing to move along with the mystery of her._ _ _

___"An old school mate of mine. I think you only met him a few times, but you knew his mom really well." She smirked knowingly at him._ _ _

___"Who?" His brow furrowed yet again._ _ _

___"Luke Smith, his mom is called Sarah Jane, remember her?" she winked._ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments?
> 
> Kudos?
> 
> Tales of woe?


	6. High School Never Ends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke Smith!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, I'm going to include Luke Smith in this story obviously, but I haven't actually watched any of the Sarah Jane Adventures. I've read the page on TARDIS wikia about him, but if I get anything wrong about him in the story please tell me so that I can fix it. Also, again, my summary says that this is not a romance, I should edit that: it's not an 11/OC romance. There are a few romances in this story, the first of which will become rather obvious in this chapter.

"Of course, I remember Sarah Jane and Luke. I have a wonderful memory." The Doctor scoffed. How could he forget Sarah Jane, his Sarah Jane, and her very special son, he always wished that he had took the time to learn more about him. His memory and low level telepathy were very impressive. "So how do you know him?"

"Nope, not yet, Doctor. I get to see Luke before I delve into the story of him."

"I'm starting to think that you just think me as a taxi service to take you to see all of your old friends." The Doctor looked annoyed as he flipped the helmic regulator.

"How dare you! I would never reduce the TARDIS to being a taxi, I do have a semblance of respect, Doctor!" she quickly stood up and started stroking the console. "He didn't mean that, girl." She cooed.

"Read in your book how special she is? Or did Captain Flirt tell you all about her?"

"Look, you want to know about me. Things like this are easier to explain when I'm with the people that I have to explain. I know because every time I meet someone that you've met I explain to them my life. It just keeps getting harder as the stories pile up. If I'm with the person I'm talking about, then they can help me explain which is just easier for me." Her voice had started to rise and she noticed that she was pacing like he sometimes did when he was thinking too much. She took a deep breath to calm herself, and sat back on a railing.

"Okay, here's a little sidebar insight to me. I told you that I was born with low level telepathy, but there's a little more. My brain works very different than most people. I'm not that great at explaining it, but I will try. I don't have conventional memories. I can remember my life, people I've met, experiences I've had; but there's more than that. There are memories of my early life that I know I should have, but they aren't there. Then sometimes I can go my whole life without knowing something, and then in a second a bombardment of knowledge just hits me. Not memories, just pure information, like someone is whispering into my ear."

The Doctor thought about this, it sounded quite a bit like there were Time Lord messages imbedded in her mind. But who would have left them for her? Was it a future version of himself, knowing that there would be information that she would need to eventually find him? Wonderful, paradoxes, he should have known that a girl like her would be crawling with them.

"So being with the people that I have to explain just helps reinforce the memories, and they can do some of the explaining themselves. It does get tiring having to repeat myself so many times. So I'm sorry if I insulted you or the TARDIS, but this is honestly the easiest way about doing all of this. Especially this particular visit, Luke's memory is so remarkable that he might be able to do almost all the talking."

"Good point. I'm sorry for being rude earlier. Of course, anything that helps making the transition into TARDIS life while explaining the story of your life, I will help to accommodate you. Also, you are probably right about Luke being able to help you." He quickly set about to move them to Luke's flat.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Incoming spacecraft, Master." K-9 suddenly said as Luke was finishing the experiment that he had been working on.

"What space craft?"

"The Doctor's TARDIS, Master." Suddenly the TARDIS engines filled the flat space. The Doctor stepped out, and started looking around the room until he found Luke sitting at a desk.

"Luke! There you are, well haven't seen you in a while. I've changed since then, long story, don't worry about it. Anyways, I've brought a friend of yours along." The Doctor shook Luke's hand hurriedly and then plopped himself on the couch.

Leah then walked out of the TARDIS and waved shyly at Luke. "Hi, Luke."

A smile lit up his face, a trait the Doctor was starting to associate with everyone when they saw Leah.

"Leah!" He shot up from his desk and wrapped her in a hug. "How have you been I haven't received an email in ages?"

"I know, I'm sorry. I meant to email you back, but Alfie was sick for a while, and then he was kidnapped by Sontarans, which is when the Doctor showed up to save the day. You know how he is." She winked. "And obviously when he showed up, I hopped into the TARDIS and rode around with him."

"How have you adjusted to TARDIS life?" Luke asked as they joined the Doctor on the couch.

"It's pretty easy actually. But the main reason we're here is that I'm only telling the Doctor information about me relevant to the people we both know as we visit them."

"Right, and what number am I then?" Luke asked with a slight twinge of something in his eyes that the Doctor didn't quite recognize.

"Only number two, if you don't count Craig and Sofie since they were there when I met him. We only went to see Jack, where we gave a brief overview of our friendship. I wanted you to be next." He nodded in understanding and placed an arm around her shoulder.

_"So am I going to do most of the sharing for this story time?" __Luke asked her in her mind.  
Over the course of their friendship Luke and Leah worked on their telepathic skills and quite often had conversations mentally._

_"Yes, please. It just gets so difficult to keep telling my story, and you know it as well as I do, possibly better with your memory and the fact that you've spent so much time in my head." ___

_"Quite possibly understand it better than you as well." __She chuckled out loud._

The Doctor looked at them curiously. "Are you two having a telepathic conversation?"

"Actually, yes." Luke answered. "We do that quite often, always have. Well, Doctor, it's my turn to share. We met at a convention for school during Year 11. There was a slight alien invasion attempt that we both put a stop to. We stayed in contact through emails and discovered that we both had connections to you, it helped us bond really." He smiled at her.  
"Then we ended up attending University together. We lived in the same building and worked to hone in on our telepathic abilities. We had never really had much control over them when we worked alone, but we did a lot of research on different alien races that used telepathy. We still don't have it perfected to your Time Lord standards, but we can talk to her godson, Alfie, and each other telepathically. Also, I've explored her mind rather extensively to try to help understand the gaps in her memory."

"And what have you found out?" The Doctor had been intrigued by the fact that their relationship was based on telepathy, almost as if they were a mentally bonded Gallifreyan couple. And the fact that Luke had been exploring her mind so much meant that he might have more answers into the mystery that she was.

"Nothing. Her memories of her life since she came to Cardiff are fine, even some farther back than that. But her very life has been locked away by someone with better telepathic control than me. Maybe one day you can look at them, and see if you have better luck than me; but not today, she's not ready for that yet."

The Doctor considered everything that Luke had told them. He seemed to have a great understanding of Leah and her feelings, and she seemed even more comfortable around him than with Jack. Maybe it would be better for all of them if Luke accompanied them on the rest of their travels.

"You know what Luke, why don't you come along with us, eh?"

Leah, who had been quiet throughout the entire conversation enjoying letting someone else tell the story for once, immediately perked up. "Oh, Luke, that's a wonderful idea, please will you?" she now had her hands in front of her and had dropped to her knees in a begging position.

He chuckled at her antics. "Of course, I'll come. Just give me a few minutes to wrap things up around here. The TARDIS should have a good enough wardrobe for me to be fine on that front, but I need to make sure K-9 can keep the flat in good condition while we're away."

"Oh, yes, K-9!" The Doctor hadn't realized that the metal dog had been living with Luke. He whistled, "Here, boy." K-9 came from behind the TARDIS where he had been hidden for the entire visit.

"Yes, Master."

The Doctor cooed. "Oh, you are such a good boy. You know, no matter how many times I regenerate, K-9 always recognizes me at first glance! Spectacular!"

Leah came over and stroked K-9 as Luke went through his programming to make sure that the flat stayed in order for as long as he was in the TARDIS.

"Alright, that's everything, let's go." Luke stood up and grabbed Leah's hand as they all walked into the TARDIS.

"Doctor," Leah turned slightly to face him. "We are going to go check out Luke's room and catch up a bit, see you later."

"Yes, alright." He replied distractedly as they were already walking down the corridor.

The Doctor once again started wondering about Leah Jackson. He knew that she had a low telepathic ability that allowed her to speak baby, but to be able to converse with another fully developed mind, especially one as advanced as Luke's? That took a great deal more power. The fact that Luke couldn't access her early memories also puzzled the Doctor. It didn't worry him when she said she didn't remember them, everyone forgot things as they got older, but the memories are still there. Someone else exploring her mind, someone like Luke should have been able to unlock the doors if she was as willing as she so obviously was for him to see.

It seemed that the more the Doctor discovered about Leah, the more questions he had.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They entered the room the TARDIS set up for Luke.

"Luke, this looks just like your bedroom at Sarah Jane's!"

"Yea, it does." He smiled as they sat on the bed. "It's great to see you, Leah. I've missed you."  
"I missed you too, Luke." She gave him a hug and they lay back on the bed. "I missed spending time with you. It's not been the same since we left University."

He nodded. "I know. So how have you been really? May I?" He motioned to her temples asking permission to look into her mind.

"Yea, anytime, Luke, you know that."

He saw everything in her memories: how worried she was when Alfie was taken, how relieved she felt when she heard the TARDIS sounds, the guilt she felt that Alfie's kidnapping was a result of her spending so much time with him at such a young age. He saw how happy she was to see Jack again and chuckled to himself at them explaining to the Doctor that they didn't have a sexual relationship. He saw her difficulty explaining to the Doctor about her memories, and was glad that now he was here to help her. Then he saw the feelings that she had when she saw him again, it almost made him short of breath as he realized the intensity of emotions that were there.

"Well, this is going to be an interesting adventure." He smiled down at her as they continued to catch up on their lives since they had last seen each other. They ended up falling asleep after a few hours of talking. And even though dreams were not something he was used to, he was sure that this was better than any dream he could possibly have.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Several hours later the Doctor entered the library to see Luke and Leah sprawled across the floor each reading their own respective books. Luke's was a Gallifreyan book on telepathy, while Leah's was a book that looked familiar to the Doctor, but he couldn't pinpoint where he had seen it before.

"So," he made a dramatic entrance to catch their attention, "who are we going to meet this time?"

"Hmm…let's see. Next we can go visit…" she finally looked up from her book at him. "What are you wearing on your head?"

"It's a pirate hat!" He was grinning madly. "Pirate hats are cool!"

"Well, we're not making our next visit with you wearing that thing."

"But it's cool…"

Before the protest was out of his mouth the pirate hat was suddenly shot off of his head. They all turned to look behind him where they saw a woman with big, blond, curly hair re-holstering her gun. And Leah's breath caught in her throat as she heard the woman address the Doctor.

"Hello, Sweetie."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments?
> 
> Kudos?
> 
> Tales of woe?


	7. Oops...Spoilers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now, my favorite archeologist...Professor River Song!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Luke is going to be extremely out of character, I do realize that. I just wrote him into the story because I needed someone with his telepathic abilities without having to come up with another completely original character.
> 
> Also, in River's timeline this is pretty soon after "Angels Take Manhattan" because that's when I wrote this bloody story. 
> 
> P.S. As I reread this story, I realize that I made Leah kind of a whin-o, sorry.

River was standing there smirking at the Doctor.

"River, why must you always destroy my hats?" The Doctor lamented.

"Sorry, sweetie, but you're the only one who actually things they are cool. No kiss for your wife?"

He walked up to her and kissed her cheek.

"Hi, honey, welcome home."

Just then River noticed the other occupants of the library. "Replaced my parents so soon, Sweetie?"

The Doctor was intrigued. River was from his future but she didn't know Leah?

"Honey, how could you forget our kids?" he asked. If she didn't know who Leah really was then at least he could have some fun and watch someone else look confused for a change. River looked at him shocked. He feigned embarrassment. "Oops, spoilers."

Luke decided to speak up. "We are not your children."

River smirked at the Doctor as his face fell.

"Yes, thank you, Luke. I was only joking with my wife."

"Luke Smith, Sarah Jane's son?" River guessed.

"Yep, that's the one."

"And the girl?"

"Hi," Leah finally stood up from her place on the ground to shake River's hand. "Leah Jackson." She looked in River's eyes searching for recognition, but found none. She shared a look with Luke, and they both knew they would be having a long talk later.

"Nice to meet you, Leah, Luke. I'm Professor River Song, the Doctor's wife. How did you come to travel with the Doctor?"

The Doctor opened his mouth to reply, but Luke beat him to it.

"Leah was babysitting a child kidnapped by Sontarans, and the Doctor rescued the baby and took Leah along with him. Leah and I went to University together, so I decided to join them."

"Well, isn't that a lovely coincidence." River smiled. Luke and Leah flinched as she said the word. They hoped that they wouldn't have to explain Leah to River, yet. But the Doctor hearing that word would definitely set him off into it.

"Yes, coincidences, Leah seems to be covered in them and possibly a paradox or two. It's a miracle, in fact, that you two don't know each other."

"Never seen her before in my life." She pulled out her journal. "Now then, where are we?"

Leah's eyes widened at seeing it, which no one seemed to notice but Luke.

"I visited Jim the Fish again last week." The Doctor said.

"That's linear with me!" River exclaimed. "Well, sort of, it was two days ago for me."

The Doctor smirked as he adjusted his bowtie. "Just can't stay away can you, honey?"

"Shut up."

"Make me."

"You're so conceited. I'm just escaping. My workload has increased so much since I became a professor. I'm starting interviews tomorrow for a teaching assistant, so many papers to grade, as well as having to keep up my own research. It's either the assistant or a clone."

Once again, Leah's eyes widened. She grabbed Luke's hand. "Well, we'll just let you two catch up then. We'll be in my room." They quickly ran out of the room surprising River and the Doctor with their suddenness.

"River, are you sure you don't know her? You're not just holding back spoilers?" He asked as he squinted to look in her eyes so he could detect any hints of deception.

"I swear." She said as she crossed her heart in a promising motion.

"Well then, she just keeps getting more confusing." Of all the people that Leah knew he was sure that River was one of them. Their personalities were just so similar.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Of course, how could I not be a paradox?!" Leah was pacing in her room as Luke sat on her bed watching her.

"Oh, come on. You couldn't have known that." Luke tried to reassure her.

"No, but now that I do it's just so obvious now. I always thought I got that job too easily. And big surprise, I was probably only hired because she met someone with the same name as me before she hired me. The Doctor's probably in there right now telling her everything he knows about me. God, she only hired me to keep an eye on me." She choked back a sob and Luke engulfed her in a hug and lowered her to sit with him on the bed.

"Hey, shh, you know that's not true. River loved you. It might have started because she noticed a coincidence and held you close, but what in our lives doesn't work like that?"

She chuckled. "Good point. I just never expected to see River again. Let alone a version of her who doesn't know me, yet. It just hurts so much. I don't know how she did this when the Doctor didn't know her, yet. And it was so difficult not hugging her on site when I know how she dies. I hope she doesn't visit much. I don't think I could handle it. And a gun?! She's just too comfortable with a gun. I must have forgotten about that, or blocked it out. I thought that I would be fine with the Doctor, he hates guns. Why would he be so okay with her using one?"

"Yes, she doesn't know you, yet. Yes, she is more comfortable with a gun, but even if she visits a lot you should be fine, though we both know that it's probably unlikely. If the Doctor knows that he and River are married and are this comfortable together, then you know there aren't many more visits for her in his timeline, which we happen to be linear with. Just look at the Diary if you don't believe me. It'll be okay. We can get through this." He gently kissed her on her lips and she jumped back in surprise.

"Together."

"Even the guns?" she asked shyly.

"Even the guns," he smiled.

And she snogged him for all he was worth.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_"Where is she?" ___

_Leah was pacing up and down the alley where she was waiting for her friend, Emily. She had never really liked America to begin with, but Emily was the first friend she made there so she decided she would always remain loyal to her. The last traumatizing event in her life caused her to use her vortex manipulator for only the second time in her life. She had landed in Kansas, 1980. When all the kids made fun of Leah for her British accent, Emily helped her work all night until she could speak flawlessly with an American accent. ___

_Once she accomplished this, making other friends was no problem, and soon the entire group home loved her. She never did get adopted, and soon she and Emily were the oldest kids there. A lot of the kids saw Leah as a mother figure. She always read to them from that blue journal that she cherished. She told them that it was just a story, fiction, but she knew in her heart that they were true. Emily would ask her repeatedly about it, since it was all handwritten, if Leah herself had written them. She would always say, "No, but I did love the person who did. She's the closest I'll ever have to a mother." ___

_Now she was pacing up and down the alley waiting on Emily to show up in 1986. Since they hit their teen years Emily had fallen in the wrong type of crowd. She had started dating and every guy she dated was a loser. Leah tried to help her see this, but she was just blind to it, it seemed each new guy was worse than the last. Today, Emily had asked her to come meet her in this alley so that they could go run an errand together for her latest boyfriend. Leah hated the idea, but Emily started complaining that they never had any time for each other anymore. ___

_Finally Emily showed up, but her boyfriend was right there beside her, holding her arm in a way Leah was sure had to be painful. Just as they were approaching, Leah she saw a car driving past the alley opening and saw a gun out the window pointed at Emily. She panicked and jumped in front of the gun as it fired. ___

_Time slowed down, which Leah didn't think was possible since she could already feel the Earth turning on a regular day. Emily was over her instantly and screaming hysterically, but her boyfriend quickly pulled her up and dragged her away. ___

_Leah slowly got up and noticed that the gun had pierced her liver; she forced herself to get up and head for the group home. She wrapped her jacket around her waist just-so that no one would notice the wound and made it upstairs to her room without drawing attention to herself.  
Once inside, she quickly grabbed a bag and packed it. She didn't need much, just her favorite books: "Journal of Impossible Things", "The Angel's Kiss", and that TARDIS blue journal. She stuffed them all in her bag and snatched her vortex manipulator out from the top drawer of her dresser. She had to get out of there before anyone had time to notice what happened next and ask questions. ___

_She quickly set the manipulator to random and vanished. When she landed she stumbled as usual, she really hated using that thing. But it was no worse than the process her body was already going through. She quickly focused on an age, she didn't worry about what she looked like; she just didn't want to end up a pre-pubescent child. Again. She started glowing and suddenly she burst with time energy as her body killed every cell and grew completely new ones. ___

_Once it finished she took in her surroundings, she noticed how lucky she was to have landed in a women's restroom. She quickly went to the mirror to appraise her new form. ___

_"Well, still blonde, of course, third body and they've all been blonde. Oh well, at least I don't have to go through puberty again, though just barely. Let's call this body about…14. Alright, let's go see where exactly I've ended up so I can find the nearest group home." ___

_She walked outside of the restroom and tried to find the nearest newsstand to purchase a paper. ___

_"2006, not a bad year, should be easy. That's the when, now the where… __ **Cardiff ****?!"**_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day River was interviewing prospects for her TA position. So far she was having absolutely no luck, none of these applicants showed any promise of having any real drive for archeology. A new applicant came in and River asked before looking up, "And what are you called?"

"Leah Jackson."

River's head shot up. She had just met a Leah Jackson yesterday, but this young woman neither looked nor sounded like the one travelling with the Doctor, sure she was still blond, but her American accent was absent and replaced with a British one. She briefly read over her resumé. "Well, you're resumé is quite impressive, Leah. Why are you interested in archeology?"

The young woman smiled, "I absolutely love history. I seem to have a real brain for it."

_"She's covered in coincidences, and possibly a paradox or two."_ That's what the Doctor had said about her. 

"Well, Leah, you've got the job. Welcome to the Luna University's Archeology Department."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments?
> 
> Kudos?
> 
> Tales of woe?


	8. Captain Jack's Sister-in-Law

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here lies another clue into who Leah is and her connection to Jack. If you noticed a particular detail in chapter 2, you might have already guessed. There are a few more chapters and an epilogue to this story.
> 
> Hope you are still enjoying!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know! I fell off the wagon! I'm so sorry...but if you want to know why go check out my profile, if you're a writer on here you might find something fun, new, and interesting in my bio worth checking out. 
> 
> Anyways, here it is! Have fun!

"Well, there has been enough sharing for a little while. How about we take a break?" The Doctor asked as they all sat in console room the next day.

"Where are we going?" Leah asked excitedly.

"Let's just spin the randomizer shall we?"

"Brilliant."

The TARDIS landed and Leah rushed outside. Luke followed her and they walked out to Cardiff, quite close to where Torchwood's secret lift used to be.

"Where are we then?" The Doctor asked stepping out.

"Thank you, Doctor. A machine that can travel all of time and space and you have effectively brought me home." Leah snarked. "Right. Wonderful, I thought meeting you would make my life…" she trailed off as something caught her eye.

Luke followed her gaze and tightened his hold around her.

_"Shh, it's ok, stay calm." He silently told her to try to soothe her. ___

_"Why does he keep making me see people I love that have already died in my timeline?" __She pleaded thinking back to River's recent visit._

"Doctor," Luke asked, "what year is it?"

He looked at his watch, "2007. What has you two so uptight?"

"Well, Doctor," Leah finally found her voice again. "You might have decided share time was on pause, but the TARDIS overruled you."

"What do you mean?"

"That over there," Luke pointed, "is the secret entry to Jack's Torchwood Hub. That man that just appeared is the office assistant, and Jack's current boyfriend, he's called Ianto Jones."

"Ah, Leah-coincidence alert. You said the family that adopted you was called Jones." He looked smug as his pride at realizing this cheered him up. 

"That's right. Ianto is my brother. But he died in 2009." Leah said flatly. 

"That's the loss you and Jack share; he was in love with your brother." The Doctor said as they sat in a diner at a table.

"Yes. Ianto was mostly in charge of getting coffee and keeping the office straight in the early days. I worked at the coffee shop he bought from. Also, he would let me make sure the Hub stayed in order when they went on location for jobs." She explained. 

"And then he started seeing Jack? You're Jack Harkness' sister-in-law! That's why he doesn't flirt with you. You're related." The Doctor practically barked as he finally understood how a creature like Jack could avoid flirting with anyone. 

"They didn't get married, Doctor, just had a short relationship. Jack and I aren't related, just good friends." Leah laughed with him. 

"How did he die, your brother?" Leah got misty eyed and silently asked Luke to tell this part of the story.

He nodded and the Doctor realized Luke was going to talk for a while, which he assumed would happen given the difficulty of the topic.

"There was an alien attack a few years ago. Two years in this future. They were a race that was that was never really identified. We just knew them as the 4-5-6 because it was the frequency they used to communicate with. They wanted 10% of the Earth's children as a tribute. When Torchwood refused to comply, they set loose a virus that was trapped inside Thames House with Jack and Ianto inside. Ianto died in Jack's arms." Luke told the story with almost no emotion, though the Doctor could tell that his complete attention was on Leah and that she was ok. 

The Doctor looked solemnly at Luke and Leah as she silently cried into his shirt. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that."

"And where were you, Doctor? You're supposed to be the protector of the Earth. What were you doing while my brother died defending the lives of thousands of children?" Leah shouted in anger. 

The Doctor looked down in shame. That had been before his regeneration, after he had to leave Rose and his metacrisis in Pete's world. He also had to erase Donna's memories. He was busy running from the warning of "He will knock four times." While he was running and feeling sorry for himself he had left the Earth unprotected and innocent people had died, Leah's brother had died.

"I'm sorry." He tried to apologize, but she interrupted him before he could explain.  
"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. You were obviously busy, and so many things happened that day it's probably a set point in time anyway. I was upset, I didn't mean to lash out at you." Leah said as she calmed down. 

"Doctor, we're going to go for a walk. We'll meet you back at the TARDIS." Luke said as he stood Leah and himself up.

The Doctor stared after them in awe. Leah's brother, Jack's lover, had died. His being there could have prevented that, but she didn't blame him. She understood, probably correctly, that Ianto's death was a fixed point in time. All of his other companions had had a tough time understanding those. He could credit it to her being so close to Jack, his being a fixed point, but her easy acceptance still baffled him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leah and Luke were walking down the street when they heard a voice that stopped her in her tracks.

"Leah? Leah is that you?" Ianto had walked up to them.

"What are you doing out this late? Mum's gonna kill you. And who are you?" He finally noticed the man that was holding onto his little sister. "Hold on, I know you. You're Sarah Jane's son. You know the Doctor! Who can travel in time." Ianto started speaking slower as he took in the couple in front of him.

"You're both older. You're travelling with him, aren't you?" Ianto asked as he finally came to terms with what he was looking at. 

Leah finally spoke and she had that sad look in her eyes, Luke could tell she was on the verge of crying.

"Yeah, we just started." She said smiling up into her brother’s eyes. 

"How old are you now?" Ianto probed. 

"Twenty-one," she smiled.

"You're so grown up." He hugged her. She tensed at first, but then she gave into it. But he noticed.

"Something happens to me. I'm not in your future." He says it so matter of factly that she almost breaks down right there. 

"Don't focus on that, please. You are an amazing big brother; better than I could have ever hoped.” She let out a sob. “And I've missed you so much." He hugged her again and she clung to him fiercely.

After a while they parted. "Well," Ianto broke the silence, "Luke, you be good to my sister, keep her out of trouble."

Luke nodded. "Yes, sir."

"And Leah, live a wonderful life. That's how you honour me. Have a bloody fantastic life." He left no room for argument, this was a direct order from her older brother. 

"I will. I love you, Ianto."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hours later when they were all back in the console room the Doctor ran around the console.

"Now, where to?" He asked.

"Actually," Leah spoke up. "Same city, but back to my time. I need to say goodbye to my family and another friend. Please, Doctor."

He nodded sharply, "Of course." It was the least he could do really, after reliving the loss of her brother she needed proper goodbyes to the rest of the people she cared about. He owed her that.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once they had landed in Cardiff 2013 again, Leah and Luke went to her older sister's house to say goodbye to the rest of her family. Rhiannon was married to a nice man called Johnny, but Leah and he just never hit it off that well. Luke knocked on the door once they arrived on the front porch. Rhiannon answered the door.

"Leah!" She wrapped Leah in a huge hug. "How are you doing, luv? It's been ages! And who's your friend?"

"Hey, sis, I've missed you too." Leah grabbed Luke's hand as they walked into the house. "This is my old friend Luke from University, you remember him."

"Oh, right, of course. Sorry, Luke, starting to get forgetful in my old age, me. So what have you two been up to?"

"It's fine, Mrs. Davies." Luke said to Rhiannon as they all walked into the lounge. Rhiannon sat in a comfy chair and Luke and Leah sat on the sofa, still holding hands.

"Oh, so you two are an item now, is that it?" She smiled.

"Yea," Leah replied, "just started actually. We met up again thanks to a mutual friend and we realized that we had strong feelings for each other."

"Well isn't that lovely! You two look so cute together. Oh, Mum, Dad, and Ianto would have been so proud. They always did like Luke. Ianto used to rant and rave saying how good of a boy he was, swearing up and down that the two of you would end up together. Guess he was right."

"I guess he was. Ianto was always smart like that." Leah smiled sadly. _"Except he really did know. Maybe it was a good thing that we saw him, so he could have peace of mind that we would be alright?" ___

Luke smiled at her and put his arm around her. _"I think you're right. Now let's say 'goodbye' to your sister like we came here to do." ___

"Actually," she spoke again, "Luke and I are going away for a while. We want to do some traveling with that friend I was telling you about."

"How long are you going to be away?" Rhia asked seriously. 

"I don't really know. I came here to say goodbye. We don't really have a set plan, just know we're leaving indefinitely and I didn't want you to worry about me when you don't hear from me in a while." Leah explained. 

"Well, that sounds like a lovely time, but are you going to be okay financially?" Rhia wondered. Leah knew that Rhia wasn’t that rich, but she also knew if she needed anything Rhia would be there in a second. 

"Mrs. Davies, I can assure you that I and this friend of ours are perfectly capable of making sure that Leah is taken care of for as long as we are traveling together." Luke said with absolute certainty.

"Alright then, can't argue with that. But you can call me Rhia, luv. You're with my sister, no need to be formal."

"Yes, ma'am." Luke nodded. 

"Rhia, where are the kids? I was hoping I could get to give them a proper goodbye as well." Leah asked. 

"Right, they're upstairs, here I'll call them down." She walked over to the staircase. "Kids, come down! Your Aunt Leah's here to see you!"

Suddenly there was a rush of feet heard from the top floor and down the stairs as the kids rushed to the lounge.

"Aunt Leah!" They screamed in unison as they went to give her a hug.

"Hey, Mika, David! How have you two been? You're getting so big now!" Leah exclaimed. 

"We've been great." Mika spoke up. "We've missed you too!"

"Are you going to start coming to visit more?" David asked.

"Actually," Leah got a serious look on her face. "I have to go away for a while. My friend, Luke, here and I are going to go traveling."

"Where are you traveling to?" Mika asked.

"Just around, we're going to go everywhere." Leah said with wonder in her voice.

"Like in the stories you used to read to us?" David asked in awe. 

"Yep," Leah smiled. "Just like in the stories."

_"We're starting to get into the too much information category, Dear." __Luke warned her._

"Right, well, I just came by here to tell you all goodbye, and that I will miss you all so so much." Leah and Luke stood from the sofa. "So, come on now. Big hugs everyone, it'll be the last ones I get from you for a long time so make them count, yeah?"

They all exchanged loving embraces and Luke and Leah stepped out on to the street.

"Well, that went well didn't it?" Leah asked.

"Yes, it did. I know you wanted to tell them where we're going but you just can't, Darling." Luke reminded her. 

"I know, I know. Ianto and I kept the whole alien thing a secret from our family for a reason. The 4-5-6 might have happened, but it was just another phenomenon that got swept under the rug and forgotten about. I can't tell them that I'm going time travelling with an alien, my slightly alien boyfriend, oh and by the way, I'm an alien." She sounded more hysterical the longer she talked. 

"I know it's tough, but we'll get through it like we get through everything, yea?" He offered. 

"Yeah." She quickly kissed him and continued walking.

"Right then. Let's go make our last stop before we go back to the TARDIS." Luke said.

"Onwards, to see Mrs. Alice Carter."

"Jack Harkness' daughter, this should be interesting." Luke mused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment?
> 
> Kudos?
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> Tales of Woe?


	9. Friends?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter just kind of expands a little more on Leah's friendship with Jack. Enjoy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, guys. I've been getting into this other story of mine. Any Buffy fans should totally read it. Then I had some family things along with some tests. I warned you people I was a University student. Sometimes life sucks. Anyway, here's the next chapter, I borrowed a line or two of Jack describing Torchwood from Torchwood's first episode. This episode is heavy with the flashback. Also, I was kind of all over the place with the way I wrote this, so if I made mistakes please let me know so that I can fix them and update.

Luke and Leah walked up to Alice Carter's house. Leah hadn't been here in at least a year. She tried to keep in touch, but there really wasn't much reason for her to come around if Stephen wasn't around anymore. They made it to the porch and Leah knocked on the door.

Alice answered the door, and was surprised at who she found there.

"Leah! What brings you by?" Alice asked in shock. 

"Hello, Alice. This is my boyfriend, Luke." Leah said to continue to dodge the real question. 

"Nice to meet you, ma'am." Luke said politely. 

"Yes, you too. Come in you two. Let's sit in the lounge." She said after shaking Luke’s hand. 

They all came in looking similarly to the scene from earlier at Rhia's house with Alice in a comfy chair and Luke and Leah on a sofa.

"Alice," Leah spoke up. "I'm going to be leaving town for a while. I'm not sure when I'll be back. So I thought I'd drop by and say a proper goodbye."

"Where are you travelling to, dear?" Alice asked almost conversationally. 

_"Now is as good a time as any."_ Luke said inside her mind.

"Actually, Alice, I'll be travelling with the Doctor." Leah said with a smile. 

Alice looked alarmed, but tried to cover it up. "Doctor Who?"

Leah smiled warmly. "Well, that seems to be the question, isn't it? No, Alice. Not a doctor. The Doctor."

"How did you meet him?" Alice was once again in shock. 

"Trust me, Alice. It is a long story. Some of it is that I know about Torchwood. And I know who you are to Captain Jack Harkness. I just thought that you had the right to know. It's not as if I can tell anyone in my family that I'll be travelling with an alien through all of time and space." Leah explained. 

"Well, thanks for telling me. Leah, have fun. For Stephen." Alice said with a touch of sadness in her eyes. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_March 2007_

_"Rhia, I hate that job so much! My boss is simply too much to deal with!"_

_Leah had just gotten off work from the coffee shop that she worked at. She couldn't stand that job, and was currently expressing such in Rhiannon's kitchen._

_"I don't know why you don't just quit then, sweetheart." Rhia reasoned.  
"Well, that would be all fine and well, but I need the money for that school convention. And the only other job I'm qualified for is babysitting." Leah lamented. _

_"Well, there's this one lady in town, Alice Carter. She's got a son called Stephen and is looking for a new nanny for after school hours. Why don't you talk to her?" Rhia happily suggested._

_Leah's eyes lit up as she finally had a spark of hope. "Brilliant! What's her number?"_

_"So, Miss Jackson, what makes you qualified to be my son's nanny?" Alice Carter asked during the interview._

_"Well, I ran a babysitting business while I was still in America, and since I'm a student myself, I'm available for the exact hours you need me. Also, I'm CPR certified."_

_That probably sealed the deal, because Alice suddenly wore an extremely bright smile. "That sounds lovely. You can start tomorrow."_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_Leah absolutely loved this job. Stephen was one of the best children she had ever taken care of. Two weeks after starting the job a man came to the door while Alice was still out. Leah answered the door to a nice looking man about in his late 20s, early 30s. He was wearing an old army coat, which caused her to believe maybe he was military._

_"Hi, Captain Jack Harkness." He said as he peered through the door to try to see inside. "I was just looking for Alice." Or maybe he was still army and he had business with Alice._

_"Well, she's not here right now." Leah said nicely._

_"Is Stephen here? I'd really love to see him." Was this man Stephen's father? If so, Alice never mentioned him. She wasn't sure she was supposed to let strangers into the house. That hadn't really come up._

_"I'm not sure that's a good…" Just then Stephen came running down the stairs towards Captain Jack._

_"Uncle Jack!" Nope, not father then._

_"Hey, big guy!" Jack lifted Stephen into his arms._

_"Alright, I guess you can come in." Leah finally allowed, it seemed that whoever this man was, Stephen trusted him._

_"Uncle Jack, I made a drawing. Do you want to see?" Stephen asked the man excitedly._

_"Sure I do, why don't you go get it for me?" Jack answered sincerely._

_"Ok." And just as quick as he appeared, he was gone again. Jack and Leah made their way into the kitchen to talk. Jack sat at the bar while Leah looked around for a drink for him._

_"So you're the new nanny? You don't look that old." Jack mused._

_"I'm a student and she needs someone who can watch him after school hours, which just so happens to be when I'm available. It works out nicely." She said as she handed him his drink._

_"Sounds like it. How old are you anyway?" He inquired._

_"Fifteen. So who are you exactly? Stephen's uncle, but how?" She asked right back._

_"Well, you see…" Just then Alice walked in the door._

_"It doesn't matter. What does matter is that he's not welcome here." Alice cut in angrily._

_"Alice, be reasonable." Jack said as he stood up from the bar with his hands in a submissive gesture to calm her down._

_"I'm being perfectly reasonable. Now get out of my house."_

_He left quickly without another word. Leah ran to Alice's side apologetically._

_"Alice, I'm so sorry. He said he knew you, and then Stephen called him 'Uncle' and I just assumed it would be ok." She tried to explain._

_"Don't worry, Leah, it wasn't your fault. But just know that that man is not allowed in this house. Ever." Alice said matter-of-factly._

_"Yes ma'am."_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_In town the next week, Leah was stepping out of a shop when she noticed the man from the other day. Captain Jack Harkness he said he was called. She wondered what it was about him that had made Alice so upset._

_"Excuse me, Captain?" she called for him._

_"Yes?" He turned around and saw her. "Oh, you're Stephen's babysitter. Sorry about the scene the other day, I shouldn't have come in without Alice's permission like that."_

_"Why does she have a problem with you? Stephen obviously loves you. Did you two have a falling out?" Leah asked, honestly curious._

_"You could say that." He nodded._

_"What else could you say?" She asked knowingly._

_And he didn't know why, but something about this girl just made him decide to tell her everything. He could always drug her with the amnesia pill afterwards anyway. So he led her into a coffee shop where they sat down, placed their orders, and then Jack decided it was time to start talking._

_"Look, you've noticed all the weird things in the news, yeah?"_

_"Titanic almost crashing into Buckingham Palace on Christmas Day, spaceship over London the Christmas before that, and a few months before that still; oh, and let's not forget the Cybermen in every home." She answered him nonchalantly. Of course she noticed those things. By the time she was at the Luna University they were major historical events, she wasn't about to miss them while they were happening right in front of her._

_Jack smiled, he liked this girl, she was definitely getting the big picture._

_"Right, so you realize it’s aliens, right?" He had to be sure._

_"Of course." She shrugged easily._

_"Well, I hunt aliens. I have a base called Torchwood." She thought that name sounded familiar. But why?_

_"Wait, Torchwood? Aren't they the people responsible for the Battle of Canary Wharf?" River had told her that was one of the Doctor’s darkest days._

_"That was Torchwood One. Torchwood Two is in Glasgow, very strange man. This is Torchwood Three. I brought it up in honor of someone very special to me. We're different." He hastily replied._

_"Okay. I get that. That still doesn't explain why Alice doesn't want you at the house." She had to remember the issue at hand._

_"I've been working for Torchwood for a long time. A very long time. Over a hundred years in fact." Leah looked impressed, but not surprised, or even disbelieving._

_"Neat trick. How do you keep from aging?" She asked simply._

_"I'm immortal." Jack said with an eyebrow quirked._

_"Convenient." She nodded._

_"Yeah, and when I was working for Torchwood about thirty years ago, I met this woman. We fell in love, and had a daughter. We called her Alice." He said very slowly, in order to make an impact._

_Suddenly realization hit her on why they had to discuss Torchwood. "Oh, you're Alice's father. So why doesn't she let you see Stephen?" She was still confused._

_He got serious and had a sad look in his eye. "She thinks her life was too difficult when it came to me. She got older and her father didn't. She doesn't want Stephen to have to grow up realizing that I don't age. She doesn't even let him see me as his grandfather. I'm just 'Uncle Jack'." He said with obvious irritation in his voice, while he air quoted the moniker._

_"So she never lets you see him. Well, what if I did?" He looked hopefully at her. "Yeah, every Tuesday I'll bring him to the park and you two can visit. As long as you just stay 'Uncle Jack' and don't tell him you're his grandfather then all should be well."_

_"That would be great. You seem to have taken all of this very well." He tilted his head questioningly._

_"Yeah, well, I've got a story of my own. And it's a doozy. Yours doesn't even compare." She smirked at him._

_"Mine's not done yet. Maybe during our little weekly visits we can compare notes." He offered._

_"It's a deal." She winked cheekily before she walked out of the coffee shop._

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_Over the next few months Jack and Leah became quite close during their weekly visits. Jack would spend time with Stephen and then he would go play in the park while Jack and Leah got to know each other. She told him about how she was knew she was different, without ever getting into specifics. He told her more about Torchwood. But they never went into too many details. Then one day Jack mentioned that he used to travel with the Doctor. Leah couldn't believe it. Ever since her coming to Cardiff for this regeneration she kept running into coincidences concerning the Doctor. There were all those alien attacks on Britain that she just knew he was the cause of. Then she met Luke Smith on a school trip where they had to stop an attack from some weird absorbing aliens from Clom that was eating all the speakers; after that they stayed in touch and she found out that his mother used to travel with the Doctor. Now Captain Jack Harkness used to travel with him too? This was starting to get creepy. What was tying her to this man?_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_February 2008_

_Leah's older brother, Ianto, worked as an office manager for some company that he wouldn't talk about. But after last June, they started going on destination a lot for their jobs. While they were all away, Ianto had Leah clean up the office for some extra cash. True there were some weird things around, but when she got into clean mode she zoned out and just finished her job, not realizing that she was messing with technology that she knew for a fact would not be invented for centuries. Finally, one day the team made it back to the Hub before Leah was done cleaning._

_Leah was wiping off a desk when a man, a brunette woman, and an Asian woman all walked in. They seemed to be in the middle of a joke, but immediately silenced when they saw Leah._

_"Oh, I'm so sorry. I'm not supposed to be here when you lot are. You must be early. I'll just get out of your hair; don't tell Ianto I was still here. Thanks." She said hurriedly._

_Just as she turned around she ran smack dab into Captain Jack. They smiled when they saw each other, but then they both were confused._

_"Leah?" Jack asked surprised._

_Leah was equally as surprised. "Jack, what are you doing here?"_

_"Oh, sir, I'm sorry." Ianto rushed to diffuse the situation. "Sometimes, while we're away I have my sister clean up the Hub for some extra money." Just then he realized that they had already greeted each other by name. "Wait do you two know each other?"_

_"Sister?" Jack asked._

_"Sir? He's your boss?" Leah said accusingly._

_"How do you two know each other, Leah?" Ianto narrowed his eyes at his sister._

_"He's a friend of Alice Carter's, the woman I'm nanny for." She explained._

_"Oh, well, isn't that funny. Yes, Jack is my boss." What a coincidence._

_Leah's heart sank. How could this be happening? The one part of her life she thought she didn't have to worry about. The part that she was sure was clear of any alien influence was her new family. And now this?_

_"You work for Torchwood? How could you do this? How could you be so stupid? You are putting yourself in so much danger! Do you know what this kind of life could do to you?" The longer she talked the louder she got._

_Ianto didn't understand what had caused his sister to become so upset all of a sudden. She was talking as if she knew all of the risks of working at Torchwood, certainly Jack wouldn't have shared anything with her without giving her an amnesia pill afterwards._

_Then he remembered last June. The reason why he trusted Leah enough to come clean the Hub even though he knew he shouldn't. He had met a future version of Leah. She had been with Luke Smith, the boy that this Leah hadn't met till just last spring. Suddenly he was very angry._

_"You knew! All this time you knew about aliens and the Doctor! I thought it was new information for you, but you knew this whole time!" He shouted._

_"What are you talking about?" Leah stepped back, shocked at the accusation._

_"Get out. Get out of here. I don't want you near this place ever again." Maybe if he kept her away from the Hub now she wouldn't have to face the dangers of the life he lived._

_Leah ran out crying. She didn't know what her brother was talking about, that she had supposedly knew about. She kept her knowledge of aliens very well under wraps, a skill he was also apparently very good at. She was so scared of the fact that he worked for Torchwood. Jack was one thing, he was already working there before they met, and he was the bloody boss. Ianto was her brother here. He was one of the people she looked up to. But here he was just another tie in to aliens. She chastised herself now for not noticing before all the advanced technology at the Hub. And, hello, how long had that pterodactyl been there?_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_July 2009, a week after the 4-5-6 attack_

_"Hi, Leah." Jack greeted her._

_"I don't even know why we're here." She scoffed._

_"It's Tuesday. We always meet up on Tuesdays." He offered with a weak smile._

_"We met on Tuesdays so that you could see your grandson. Well he's dead now Jack. And so is Ianto." She spat._

_"I loved your brother, you know." Jack admitted._

_"What?" Leah was shocked. Ianto had never hinted that he and Jack might be involved._

_"Your brother and I were together. For over a year, actually for almost as long as you and I have known each other." He explained._

_"I had no idea. He never said anything. You never said anything. How could you two keep something like that from me?" She asked hurt._

_"We tried not to make things too serious. Well, I tried to not make things serious." He hung his head ashamedly at the last part._

_"Why?" She asked._

_"Why? For the way I feel right now, that's why! I'm immortal, Leah. If I care too deeply about someone, then I have to sit back and watch them die. Just like I sat and watched Ianto die last week. Do you have any idea how hard that is for me?"_

_"Yeah, I do. I'm sorry. Look, we both lost two people we loved because of the 4-5-6, let's not stay mad at each other, yeah?" She smiled._

_"You're right. That's why I came here. I thought we could still be here for each other, even though we lost them." He said._

_"Good, because I could really use a friend right now." She said as she went to embrace him._

_He spoke up once he finally pulled back to face her. "Also, I wanted to tell you something. Ianto, he died in my arms."_

_She choked back a sob. "Oh, Jack, that must have been so hard for you."_

_"Yeah, it was. But, he wanted me to tell you something."_

_"What?" She asked, leaning in so that she could cherish his words._

_"He wanted you to always know how much he loved you. And that you should have 'a bloody fantastic life'. It's funny, that's what the Doctor said in his emergency protocol message to Rose right before she made me immortal."  
_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments?
> 
> Kudos?
> 
> Tales of woe?


	10. Repeatedly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ol' Jackie boy is going to find himself a time lady!

Captain Jack Harkness sat in the bar on one of the rings of Saturn. He'd been looking for Jenny for months now. He still wasn't sure exactly what she looked like, but he had a feeling it wouldn't be hard to pick her out of a crowd.

Jack was still wondering how Leah had produced a working vortex manipulator. John had told him there were only seven time agents left, counting them, and it was unlikely she'd come across any of them. He brushed it off and hoped she'd tell him later.

Suddenly, a conversation snapped Jack out of his musings.

"Been looking for her dad for ages, she said. I took pity on her, she looked so tuckered out, so I gave her a room for the night above my shop." It was the barmaid talking to a patron.

"Excuse me, hi, Captain Jack Harkness," he interrupted, throwing the charm on immediately. "Say you put a girl up here?"

"Just for the night, says she never stays in one place too long." The barmaid replied easily.

_That's gotta be her._ "Where is she?" he asked eagerly.

"Just walked in." The woman pointed to the entrance.

Jack turned and saw the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen, and that was saying something. He had been joking with Leah about how his life was run by blonds, referring to her and Rose. But this girl's hair was literally golden the way it shined and almost made it seem as if a halo was resting above her head. He could easily see himself doing anything she asked of him. She wore her hair tight in a ponytail and he wondered for a moment what it would look like let down and able to bounce around. He quickly changed his line of thinking; he'd never disrespect the Doctor that way. He remembered how hot-tempered the Doc would get when he'd harmlessly flirted with Rose. If he even thought about his daughter…Jack suppressed a shudder of the possibilities of the Time Lord's rage.

Jenny was walking over to the bar, but Jack could tell she was fighting an uneasy feeling. He took this as a good sign, assuming it was the effect he was having on her Time Lord physiology of being a fixed point in time. He walked over to the stool she now occupied and sat down beside her.

"Hi, Captain Jack Harkness." He offered his hand.

She took it easily and smiled at him. "Hello, I'm Jenny. Don't really have a last name."

_You could have mine._ He thought before he could catch himself. _Focus, Jacky boy._ "That's fine. They're overrated anyway. So, where you from?"

Jenny knew a pick up when she heard one, but this man didn't look at her the way most men did when that's what they were going after, so she decided to tell her story to him.

"Well, technically I was born on Messaline. But my dad's not from there, I've been looking for him for quite a while." She explained. 

"Who's you dad?" Jack was sure he knew the answer to the question, but he had to be sure.

"He's called the Doctor."

Jack smiled wide. "I thought so."

Jenny's smile was bright as a thousand watts as her eyes filled with hope. "You know him?"

"I used to travel with him for a while. We keep in touch…Sorta." Jack shrugged.

"Can you help me find him? I've been trying so hard for so long, but since he can travel in time, it's been pretty pointless." She said defeatedly. 

Jack showed his wrist in a way where she could see the vortex manipulator. "That's where this comes in handy."

"You can time travel with that?" She asked in wonder. 

"Yep. Not as smooth as a TARDIS, you might get sick till you get used to it." He warned. 

"When can we leave?" She asked with the excitement of a child.

"Whenever you want, doll.”

"Is now ok?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jack walked in the hotel room he'd just reserved for the weekend. He and Jenny had been searching for six months for the Doctor and Leah. They kept missing them, sometimes even watching as the TARDIS finished the dematerialization sequence. It was starting to become very taxing on Jenny's morale, so Jack suggested a weekend off to relax.

They had grown close over the last few months together. It seemed the "Always running for your lives", was genetic. They had gotten into a few predicaments, which had actually made them grow close with having to trust each other so completely. Jack had tried his hardest not to get involved with Jenny out of respect for the Doctor. He knew Doc would disapprove. But she was just something special. As he got to know her he grew to like her more and more. He hadn't felt that way since Ianto.

And he believed she returned his feelings. If she didn't, he would drop it right there. But she gave the subtle hints. She'd give him flirty smiles. She'd hug him just a little longer than necessary when they said goodnight. Last night, she had even kissed him on the cheek. He didn't know what to do. He had even subconsciously stopped flirting with others ever since he started travelling with her.

Jack quickly recognized the feelings he had, but tried to keep them concealed due to the Doctor's more than likely disapproval.

Jenny walked in the room right past him, and plopped on the bed she apparently was claiming as hers.

"Jack, what is this?" She asked.

"A hotel." He smirked.

"Don't be a smartass. You and me. What's this between us?" She asked seriously.

He took a deep breath and sighed heavily.

"Jenny…" he began.

"I like you, Jack." She cut him off.

"I like you, too. Probably even love you." He finally admitted out loud.

"So we can be together." She announced.

He shook his head. "It's not that simple, doll."

"Why the hell not?" She rose from the bed and was in his face now, that familiar storm building in her eyes. He loved it about her, but it also reminded of the answer to her question, the other place he'd seen that storm.

"Your dad would never stand for me and you being together." He explained.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "My dad's not here right now. We might never find him, Jack. I'm sick of wasting time. I love you; you just said you love me. If my father has a problem with that than I can deal with him."

"He's gonna kill me." Jack said as he gave in and kissed her.

Jenny had kissed men before. Hell, she'd kissed one before she was even six hours old on Messaline. But this kiss with Jack was totally different; she felt her stomach flip flop like it did the first time she travelled with the vortex manipulator, but in a good way. Only after he pulled away did she process what he'd said.

"You're immortal; you'll just come back to life." She giggled.

"Exactly, which means he can do it repeatedly."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jenny was walking into the hotel lobby to ask the concierge a question. Just as she made it into the main room she heard it, the materialization sequence of the TARDIS. She ran back to the room to wake Jack.

"Up, up, up, up, up." Jenny yelled as soon as she'd walked through the door.

Jack groaned. "Come on, doll. It's our vacation. I don't want to get up early." He opened one eye to see her packing and went into fight or flight shooting up from the bed. "What is it?"

"TARDIS. In the lobby. Get dressed. NOW!" she ordered.

And just like that, he was up.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Where are we this time?" Leah asked as she and Luke stepped out of the TARDIS hand in hand.

"Quantum III, it's a luxury planet." The Doctor said as he followed. "Figured we could use some rest after our last adventure."

"You mean after you caused Custer's Last Stand?" Luke asked smartly.

"I was just giving him an inspirational speech. How was I supposed to know it was Colonel Custer?" the Doctor defended himself.

"The Civil War outfit, along with the goatee might have been a tip off." Leah quipped. "Does this place have a nice spa?" She changed years before they caused a scene.

"Of course it has a spa. It's a luxury planet. Emphasis on the luxury. Actually…" the Doctor trailed off as he sensed something impossible. He thought he sensed another Time Lord for a moment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jack and Jenny hurried to finish getting their things together. As they walked down the hallway Jack reminded her, "Remember, he's regenerated since you last saw him. He almost looks the same age as you."

"Literally or physically?"

He didn't answer her as they kept running.

"Jack?"

"I'm thinking!"

Just then they made it to the lobby where they saw the Doctor, Luke, and Leah.

"That's them." He pointed out. 

"Which one's Dad?" She asked. 

"The one in the God awful bowtie." He replied. 

"Bowties are cool." The Doctor said as he defended the insult he had heard. He turned around and gawked when he saw Jack and…was that Jenny? But it couldn't be.

Jenny froze as she saw the group in front of the TARDIS. Jack was right behind her, hand rubbing her back. "Well, he's seen us." Jack said.

But it wasn't her dad that had made her stop. Glad as she was to finally see him, she was hit with an odd feeling. The girl that was with them called to the Time Lord part of her. She didn't know why, but she felt an odd sense of familiarity with the girl. Jack's pushing on her back finally registered with her as she saw the group looked towards them. She ran towards them and hugged the Doctor.

"Dad! I've been looking for you for so long!"

"Jenny?" The Doctor sputtered as he embraced the girl in his arms. He never thought…wait. 

He pulled her at arm's length. "You were dead. I watched you die. I waited for you to regenerate, but you never did."

"The terraforming healed her after you left." Jack walked up to the group.

"Jack!" Leah instantly embraced him.

"Hey, you." He squeezed her. He nodded in Luke's direction. "Luke."

"Captain." He nodded back. Leah pulled away from Jack and grabbed Luke's hand again when she felt the uncertainty in him.

It was only a hello, I love you. She thought to him.

He smiled down at her. I know, Dearheart. 

Jack noticed the whole exchange and smiled. Ianto always wanted them to end up together.

"How did you find me? Jack, how are you even on this planet? Jenny, this is 100 years before you were even born!" the Doctor asked his questions a million miles a second.

"Have a new toy, Doc." Jack showed him his vortex manipulator.

"I broke yours!" The Doctor exclaimed.

"I gave him a working one." Leah stated.

"And where did you get it?" The Doctor turned on her.

"My mother gave it to me when I was young. I've only used it three times. Then I gave it to Jack so he could find Jenny." She explained.

"And how did you know Jenny was alive? Do you know her?" His never ending questions continued. 

"I've never met her before," Jenny finally joined the conversation. "But she seems familiar somehow."

This didn't deter the Doctor's question. "Have you met her?"

"No, it was one of the brain message unlock things the last time we saw Jack. It said he had to be the one to find her." She defended.

"It's true; she had no knowledge of Jenny before the visit with Jack." Luke backed her up.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but you've theorized these messages are from you. So shouldn't I follow the instructions explicitly?" She reasoned with the rational part of him. 

The Doctor accepted both of their answers and finally faced his daughter again. He was smiling excited to see another Gallifreyan still alive. Then his smile disappeared when he saw that she and Captain Jack each had an arm wrapped around the other's waist.

"Oh, no." he shook his head. "You two cannot be involved romantically."

"Oh, but we are." Jenny stepped towards him challengingly.

"Doctor," Leah sighed. "You've just been reunited with your daughter, who you thought was dead. Don't ruin it by scolding her choice in boyfriend."

"But…" he tried. Luke interrupted.

"She's right, Doctor. She's a grown woman. Let's just have the nice vacation we planned."

The Doctor's shoulders dropped in defeat but he raised a finger to Jack in final warning. "Hurt my daughter, Harkness, and you'll know why I'm called the Oncoming Storm" He smirked evilly. "Repeatedly."

Jack looked terrified at Jenny pointing at the Doctor. "See! I told you!"

"No, you won't, Dad. I love him and there's nothing you can do about it." Jenny said as she slapped down the hand Jack was pointing at her father.

"Love?" the Doctor choked.

"Love." She affirmed as she hugged Jack.

"Well, Doctor." Leah teased. "I might have been Captain Jack's sister-in-law, but now you're going to be his father-in-law."

Jack coughed, the girls giggled, Luke chuckled.

The Doctor groaned.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hours later when they'd all separated into their hotel rooms Luke and Leah were sitting in their room talking about the events of the day.

"Things are pulling together." Luke stated.

"I know, I can feel it. Also, there's only one entry in River's journal about Jenny." She said worriedly. 

"True, but that's not what I was talking about." He said as he came and sat on her bed with her. "The locked parts of your mind are almost all opened now. Soon we'll know everything."

"I know." Leah said. Luke felt the fear ooze off of her with that statement.

"Hey, what's wrong, Dearheart?" he asked concerned.

"I'm a mystery. That's what's special about me. That's why you and the Doctor find me so fascinating. I'm a puzzle to solve. Once all the pieces are in place, there's no reason to stay around me anymore." She revealed to him her worst fears.

"Bullocks." She looked up at him in surprise of his course tone. "The Doctor will still want you around even as you're puzzle gets solved. He's come to care about you. As for me," He kissed her deeply and passionately, channeling all his love directly towards her.

"I've been in love with you from day one. Not because you're interesting as a mystery, but because you're you. There's no other Leah Jackson in the universe. And quite frankly, I'm glad there isn't. Means I have a one of a kind beauty that others would be willing to kill for."

Leah smiled through the tears his declaration had caused her.

"I love you, too, Luke Smith."

"Also, you're too weird for the universe to handle there being two of you." He chuckled.

"Jerk." Leah pushed him down on the bed and they both collapsed into laughter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_The next night_

The Doctor straightened up his new suit and smoothed his new hairstyle. He'd kissed Jenny and Leah goodnight as they retired for the night with their better halves. Well…maybe Jenny was Jack's better half. They had decided they'd take a trip to see the Singing Towers of Darillium tomorrow. So he bought a new suit for the occasion and took the TARDIS on a quick trip to pick up one more member for the party.

He knocked on the door, and when it opened he saw his wife smile.

"Hello, sweetie."

He smiled sadly.

"Hi, honey. I'm home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments?
> 
> Kudos?
> 
> Tales of woe?


	11. Till the Next Time, Doctor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has the Singing Towers of Darillium in it, since there's never really an explanation as to what they are I left them open to interpretation. I did use the dialogue from the Doctor and River's last scene in "The Name of the Doctor". Did that scene make anybody else cry? I was crying just writing this chapter. Anyways, enjoy!

When Leah woke up the next morning she walked into the library only to find River there. Her hearts swelled the way they did the last time she'd seen her. She hoped River recognized her this time, if not from her job, then at least from their last encounter in this very room. She put a smile on her face and walked over to her.

"Hello, River." Leah said as she sat next to River on the sofa.

"Leah, how lovely to see you," River hugged her. Leah relished in the feeling. When River pulled back she looked at Leah knowingly and she knew River knew who she was.

"So, care to tell me how after I met an American Leah Jackson, the next day I hire one who grew up on the moon?"

"You can't tell the Doctor!" Leash rushed to inform her. She knew she was about to tell River a good deal of information that the Doctor was not ready for, yet.

"Darling, if there's one thing I can do well, it’s keep a secret from my husband." River smiled.

So Leah told her the entire story from first to last, how she was left alone at a young age and regenerated three times already. She didn't tell River how she died only that she did and she had terrible trouble coping without her.

"I presume you have my journal then?" River guessed. 

Leah nodded. "I read it all the time. I didn't think I'd ever see you again. It makes me feel close to you."

"I understand perfectly, dear. Now, no more talk of my death. It's depressing and I'm out of regenerations, so no frown lines for this one. Now, let's talk about that boy of yours." She switched instantly into mothering mode. 

Leah smiled shyly. "I really love him."

"Wonderful, I always worried about your social life, honestly, you'll work yourself to death." She joked. 

"Kind of already did." Leah smirked. "But, seriously, he's a really great guy and I've loved him since I first met him."

"And he knows about you?" River inquired.

"Yes, he's telepathic. He's helped me so much ever since we became friends. Then we came to travel with the Doctor and our friendship seamlessly turned into something more." Leah smiled fondly.

River's smile lit up her face and she wrapped Leah in a hug. "I'm so happy for you, sweetheart."

They went to the console room to find everyone else already there. They went to stand by their respective partners.

"So, Doctor, what are we going to do today?" Leah asked.

"Visit the Singing Towers of Darillium." He said as he kissed his wife's nose.

Luke's grip tightened on Leah as he knew her reaction. _Not now, darling, they can't know their own future._ Luke warned her within her mind so that no one else would here.

_But, I just told her. She finally knows who I am, and she's going to die?_ Leah almost sobbed aloud.

You've got one more day with her, let's make the most it. He prompted.

She nodded. You're right.

"Dad, can we have a picnic?" Jenny asked excitedly.

"Of course, luv," the Doctor smiled. "Go pack a basket while I fly us there."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_Dear Journal,_

_We had a lovely little family outing today. My sweetie took us all to the Singing Towers of Darillium. The Towers of course are twin waterfalls that glisten like silver and the sound of the water falling projects to sound like a beautiful, heavenly chorus._

_Once we arrived (after first landing incorrectly on Barcelona, the city, not the planet) the Doctor and Mr. Brainiac decided to inform us of every single scientific detail of how crashing water can sound like singing. To which Mrs. Brainiac, Mr. and Mrs. Immortal and I all decided to dutifully nod as if we actually were paying attention to them._

_We all settled down for the picnic that Mrs. Immortal had insisted on and prepared. The Doctor had his fish fingers and custard, no matter how many times he and my mother tried to convince me, that mix never sounded appealing. Mrs. Immortal and Mrs. Brainiac both had toast and marmalade. Mr. Immortal simply ate biscuits, while Mr. Brainiac would steal a bite every now and then of his mate's toast. I wasn't particularly hungry so I just nibbled on the strawberries._

_After we finished eating each of the respective couples decided to separate for their own private adventures. Mr. and Mrs. Immortal, ever the adventurers decided to climb the cliff the Towers fell from; Mr. and Mrs. Brainiac decided to sightsee. As the other four left, the Doctor swaggered over to me, floppy hair in his face with a sinister grin to match._

_"What do ya say, Professor, fancy a snog behind the waterfall?"_

_"I can't, I'm married." I replied jokingly._

_"I'll have a word with your husband." He shot back, not missing a step._

_He grabbed my hand and led me behind the wondrous Towers into a spectacular cavern that seemed to glow from the shine of the water._

_"Gorgeous." I remarked as the Doctor pulled me into his arms._

_"Yes, you are." He said before he leaned his head down and snogged me within an inch of my life. When he finally pulled back he rested into his pocket for something._

_"You know, there was so much going on during our wedding, I never did get around to telling you my name." He whispered in my ear._

_"Married to a man, and I don't even know his name. My mother would be so disappointed." I sighed shaking my head._

_"She would, yeah, until she realized you were married to the imaginary friend she had as a child." He smiled._

_"You should have seen her face when that realization dawned on her." We shared a laugh._

_Then he became serious and retrieved the item from his pocket. It was an older sonic screwdriver, one my mum had told me as Mels was the one he'd had upon their first meeting. Only it had more features to it._

_"It has all the features of a Mark VI plus red and damper settings; much belated wedding gift." He explained._

_"Thanks, but what will I ever use it for?"_

_"Oh, you never know when something will come up." He shrugged nonchalantly. "Now about my name…"_

_And then he told me, it sounded like music when he spoke it. The Singing from the Towers only seemed to accentuate it. And what we did next, my dear, I won't share those details with you._

_"There's power in that name. You're the only person in the universe I trust with that much power."_

_He brushed the tears off my cheeks that I hadn't even noticed had fallen, then kissed me sweetly once more before we returned to the rest._

_"Well, you lot, did you have a good time?" the Doctor addressed the group. They all nodded smiling as we stood in a circle. Mrs. Immortal stepped in the middle._

_"I have an announcement. "Mr. Immortal stepped up and put his arm around her shoulder smiling. "We're gonna have a baby."_

_"You got my daughter pregnant!" The Doctor yelled indignantly._

_"Sweetie, shut up." I quieted him before turning to the happy couple. "That's wonderful, sweetheart. We're so happy for you." I said pulling them into a hug._

_Everyone was ecstatic at the news. The Doctor tried to remain reluctant, but I noticed the upward quirk of his lips as he hugged his pregnant daughter._

_We then returned to the inside of the TARDIS where I said goodbye to the other two couples as the Doctor steered me home. When we landed he walked me to the door._

_"See you around, Professor Song."_

_"Till the next time, Doctor," I replied as I opened the door. He kissed me gently._

_"Don't wait up." He said almost sadly as I left._

_So now back to my dreary life as a Professor. Oh well, I've got that Lux expedition to The Library in a few days. That should be fun, too bad you can't come Leah, your bloody thesis._

_Alright, that's all for this adventure. Maybe I'll send a message to the Doctor to join me at The Library in your absence. I'll tell you all about it when I get back._

_Goodnight, my sweet girl._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leah closed River's journal on the last page. The book itself was embedded with a technology that would upload into a cloud drive Leah had had on the moon. After she had worked for River long enough and they had developed a type of mother daughter relationship, River simply addressed each entry to Leah. When River died, Leah took the actual physical copy from river’s personal effects to have more of a link to her. 

Once she realized the final entry was about the day she'd just experienced, she'd easily determined that Jenny and Jack were Mr. and Mrs. Immortal while Luke and she were Mr. and Mrs. Brainiac. Then, she started to get suspicious of the screwdriver the Doctor gave to River. 

It sounded exactly like the one that was in River's personal effects, the one currently in Leah's nightstand with her other books she'd brought on the TARDIS.

Then, River had said that she was going to message the Doctor to come to The Library. But that couldn't have happened, the Doctor wouldn't have let her die. Unless…Leah's blood ran cold as she remembered the first time River explained her non-linear relationship with the Doctor.

_"His firsts are my lasts and vice versa. I've already witnessed some of the days when he knows very little about me. And one day, he won't have a clue who I am. That just might kill me."_

Leah grabbed the sonic screwdriver-plus out of her nightstand, journal still in hand, and stormed to the kitchen to find the Doctor sulking. Sulking for the very reason she was so angry with him. She went to stand in front of him and slammed the book down on the table.

"How could you do that?!" She screamed at him.

"Do what?" Then, he noticed the book on the table and his eyes widened. "Where did you get this?" he demanded.

"You sent her off to her death, knowing exactly what you were doing and all you give her is this screwdriver? What does it do?"

"How did you get that? And her journal?" The Doctor was mad now.

"Answer me, first! What does it do?"

"I couldn't rescue her, but I saved her."

Realization hit Leah. "She's a part of CAL. But I thought they restored everyone that was saved?"

"They could do that because of her. She sacrificed herself." He said sadly. Then he caressed the book and turned angry eyes on Leah. "Now, how did you get these things that I gave to my wife?"

"Gather everyone in the library." She instructed.

"Why?" He asked puzzled.

"Because it's a long story, and I'm only gonna tell it once." She explained.

"And what story would that be?" he asked.

"The story of my life."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments?
> 
> Kudos?
> 
> Tales of woe?


	12. Well, That Explains...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alright, this is it. Leah's whole story; her life from first to last. Some of it you guys already know, some you don't. Mainly this is just her telling it all to the Doctor and company.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy!
> 
> After this, there's only an epilogue!

Leah looked at the people she had come to think of as family for the last several months.

Jack, the friend that dated her big brother, and somewhere along the way became one himself. 

Jenny, the love of Jack's life that he could spend forever with. They were sitting together on the sofa, Jack with his arm around Jenny's shoulder and the other protectively covering her newly announced pregnant belly. He'd make a great father.

Luke, her best friend for so long, and now so much more than that. She didn't know where she'd be without him. He was standing right beside her, he knew what was happening now, and without her even having to ask, he was holding her for support and comfort. She knew he knew this whole story, and that reassured her that no matter what the others said, he would stand by her when she was done telling it. And when it was all over, she was going to ask him about a Gallifreyan bonding ritual and if he'd be interested in it with her.

Then, there was the Doctor. The man she'd idolized all her life; first, through stories from her mentor, then, through books that discreetly told his stories in what others naively believed as fiction. And finally she got to meet this man, the one some species, several species in fact, believed to be God. She relished the time she had with him, knowing it was never permanent. And now her time seemed to be up.

"Well, here we all are." The Doctor pointed out impatiently from his place on the comfy chair. "Now, tell us, once and for all, who you are."

"I don't know." Leah admitted honestly.

"What do you mean you don't know?" The Doctor's brow furrowed.

"Technically, I don't know WHO my biological parents are, so in a sense, I don't know who I am." She explained. "But I know WHAT I am."

"And what are you?" He was getting annoyed again with her evasiveness.

_Alright, luv, now it's time to let your barriers down._ Luke instructed her. She did as he asked. They both noticed the Doctor's eyebrows raise in realization as her presence became known in his mind.

"That's not possible." He whispered.

"My mother was a Time Lady, she was married to a human. So, yes, I'm part Gallifreyan." She confirmed his feelings.

"How did I not realize this until now? I can always feel when another Time Lord is around." He asked frantically.

"I kept barriers up in my mind to keep you from noticing." She explained.

"That's impossible. You're too young to know how to do that."

"Come on, Doctor, you know better than that. I'm much older than I look." She smirked.

"Why don't you know who you're parents are?" Jenny asked, speaking for the first time since she entered the library.

"I can't remember most of my first life. I was seven when something horrible happened, I don't remember what, I can just remember the fear and urgency in my mother's voice. She gave me a vortex manipulator and told me that I had to leave for my own safely and she couldn't come with me. I was upset and didn't understand what was going on, I was angry with her for not coming with me. As everyone here knows, time travel outside a vessel is hard on you, since I was a child it made me extremely sick, and I ended up passing out. When I woke up, I was in the 51st century, on the moon, and I looked completely different. I had still had the body of a seven year old, but not the one I grew up in, I'd regenerated for the first time. I swore never to use the manipulator again, because of how sick I got." She told them the story of her first incarnation.

"That explains why you can't remember your first life." The Doctor thought out loud. When the others in the room looked at him questioningly he explained. "On Gallifrey, when you reach the age of eight you are considered mature, and taken away from your family to make you go to the Academy. You look into the untempered schism and that helps form who you become as a Time Lord. Since your first regeneration happened before you were eight, it drastically affected your brain and you have trouble accessing those memories."

"I can't even reach them, Doctor." Luke offered. "That's what I was telling you about when we first came on the TARDIS. The door's not just closed, its dead bolted."

The Doctor looked at him confused. "Well, then, I suspect there are reasons of some sort your mother didn't want you to remember certain things, so she locked them away from you."

"Is there anything you remember about the crisis that your mother was going through?" Jack asked.

"She didn't say, but I keep thinking back to it, and I've read the history books over the years, and I think it was the Time War." She looked at them sadly, and Luke tightened his hold on her.

There was a silence around the group. Jenny stood to go hug her father, and Jack went to hug Leah. After the moment passed, Jack returned to Jenny and asked Leah, "Alright, how about your second incarnation, after you regenerated?"

"I started going by the name of Leah Jackson, I don't think that was my original last name, but it's what I decided to go by. I grew up in a group home. It was fine, but not my favorite way of living. I always liked science and history, must have been the Gallifreyan in me." She smiled and the Doctor returned it warmly. "I went to the Luna University on full scholarship and graduated with honours. I stayed to get a master's and maybe one day a doctorate in archeology, but I never got that far." Luke silently wiped the tears that had started falling down her face.

"What happened?" Jenny asked.

"I was in my first year of graduate school when I saw a posting for a job as a teaching assistant for one of the best professors in the department. I applied for the job and easily was hired by an amazing woman." She looked to the Doctor.

"River," he stated, as he once again stroked her journal.

"Yes, she always talked about this amazing man who had shown her the universe. I read her journal all the time. She let me; it was how I went to sleep at night. She became like a mother to me, since I hadn't had a proper one in so long. We went on adventures together; we'd stay up late grading papers and just telling stories. Sometimes I'd even be in her office when you'd come pick her up. That's how I recognized the sound of the TARDIS the first time we met." She smiled at him again.

"But I don't understand." Jenny said shaking her head. "If you work with River, then why are you with us and not her?"

Leah's eyes grew sad, as did the Doctor's. "We're in different parts of each other's timelines." 

She explained. "Today was the last time any of us will see River."

"Why?" Jack asked trying to get the whole story. He understood timelines almost as much as the Doctor, but he wanted to hear what happened to River in Leah's past.

"In her journal, the one I've kept with me all this time, today was the last entry written." Leah explained to the couple that didn't know what happened. "There was an expedition; I couldn't go because I had to finish my thesis. I was set to present it as soon as River returned. But she never did. She went to The Library, a planet with every book ever written. An attack happened a century before she went and they were investigating. She died solving the problem. She died a hero." Leah choked back a sob as Luke rubbed her back soothingly. The Doctor was silently crying in his chair.

"The police told me what happened," she continued, "and since she didn't have any family in our century, I got her personal effects. That's why I have her screwdriver and journal. And once again, I had no one. I went to get my vortex manipulator and randomly hit buttons. I got sick again, and didn't notice that I had landed in the middle of the road, and was hit by a car."

"So you do have a paradox or two surrounding you." The Doctor stated distantly.

Leah nodded. "I realized the first time we saw River in the TARDIS, once she said she was hiring. I knew she'd only hired me because she'd met me here first. But she knew who I was this time. I told her everything this morning. And now she's gone again."

"I'm so sorry." The Doctor told her solemnly.

"It's ok; at least she knows that I'm happy." Leah replied. "She was always so worried about me."

"What happened after you were hit with the car?" Jenny asked, getting the conversation back on the topic of Leah's life.

"I regenerated again. I turned into a 10 year old, out of my need to just live when times were simpler. But I'd landed in 1980, Kansas, America. I was put into another group home. I lived there for six years. That's when I developed the American accent. I found some books that had been published by people who had known the Doctor, others thought it was fiction, but I'd known better. Those stories gave me hope, that's when I started wanting to find you myself. I read the stories to the younger kids as I grew up. I was a babysitter and pool cleaner by trade from when I was 14 until I was 16. Then when I was 16, my friend, she was dating a guy who was involved in some bad things. I walked up to them in the middle of a bad deal. I was shot in the middle of a drive by. I went to run up to my room in the group home around the corner, grabbed all my things I needed, and transported myself at random again before I regenerated again."

"Three regenerations before you were even 50 years old." Jack stated sadly. "That's tough, hun."

"She's a tough girl." Luke remarked before gently kissing her.

"No wonder your head is in so much confusion." The Doctor said.

"I landed in a bathroom in Cardiff, 2006, and regenerated into a 14 year old." Leah continued the story; she'd gotten this far, time to plow through the rest. "I was put in another group home, but didn't have to stay there for long before I was adopted by the Joneses. They were great. I had two brothers and a sister. That was the first time I had a real family.

"That's when I started noticing that this life was intertwining itself in the Doctor's path. I met Luke, the son of a former companion. Then, I found out Jack was a companion himself. Then, my best friend's husband and my godson both mentioned their encounters with the Doctor. I kept missing you. Then, when my wonderful godson was kidnapped, I heard that sound that I hadn't heard in so long, and I ran." Leah finally finished her story.

There was silence as everyone took in all the information that Leah had just given them. 

Finally she spoke again, looking at the Doctor.

"I'll get my stuff together, and you can drop me off back in Cardiff." She said turning to leave the room.

"Why would I do that?" The Doctor asked perplexed.

"I'm not dumb, Doctor, I know how much you love puzzles. Now, you've solved mine, there's no reason to keep me around anymore." She replied sadly.

He walked up to her and put his hands on her shoulders and looked directly in her eyes. 

"Maybe in all your time with my wife she forgot to mention something. I hate endings, and my dear, we're nowhere near yours." He said pulling her into a hug. "Also, I've been so lonely since the war; I'd love to have another Gallifreyan on my ship. So would the TARDIS."

"I can stay?" She asked hopefully.

"The Jones' might have been your first family, but this is your family now." He replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments?
> 
> Kudos?
> 
> Tales of woe?


	13. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a little epilogue to answer any last unanswered questions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is it folks, this is the first story I've completed! WooHoo! Enjoy!

_9 months later_

"Jenny, she's gorgeous!" Leah said as she held the newborn that Jenny spent 12 hours bringing into the universe.

"Of course she is! Look at her gene pool." Jack smiled conceitedly before dipping his head to kiss his wife a job well done. They had gotten married soon after they announced that they were pregnant. It was a double wedding, as Luke and Leah did their bonding ceremony at the same time.

"What are you going to call her?" Luke asked as he smiled at his mate holding the baby, the happiness clear on her face, he couldn't wait until he gave her a child of her own.

"Susan." Jenny said. "It was Jack's mum's name."

The Doctor looked up sharply at this. He had always worried about Susan. He knew that the girl that had traveled with him was born at some time in his future, but he had never seen her born before the Time War, he started to fear that she never would be born. He smiled widely as he realized that this was no longer anything to worry about.

"Beautiful, darling," The Doctor said walking to Jenny and bending to kiss her on the forehead.

"Thanks, Dad." She smiled up at him.

"Now," The Doctor said turning to Leah. "Hand over my granddaughter. It is my turn."

Leah pouted, but complied easily handing the child over, and the Doctor walked alone to the corner of the room. She did hate letting go of her, there was a feeling of completeness when she held little Susan. Oh well, she could always steal her again later.

After the Doctor learned Leah's story, he offered to see if he could do anything about unlocking her mind. It was a fruitless effort. He was surprised that her mother had the skill to lock the information so well from the Doctor, and came to realize that he was exactly who it was meant to be kept from and decided to stop trying; shouldn't break his own rules after all. Now they all simply lived as a happy family, they didn't dare call it being domestic, for whenever someone tried, trouble was never too far behind the corner.

"Hello, sweet girl," The Doctor whispered to the baby. "I'm your grandfather, though I don't always look like this, you'd do good to remember that. It'll come in handy one day."

"Well, Doc," Jack said as he came to stand by the Doctor and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "An immortal married to a Time Lady, who just had a child, another Time Lady bound to a genius. The family sure is growing. Nowadays, Time Lord, you are not alone."

The Doctor was shocked again. He wondered how many times in his life Jack would utter those words to him. He started to worry that something bad would happen soon. Then he looked down at his granddaughter, back up to her parents who were now rejoined, and finally on Luke and Leah. The Doctor smiled as he realized that the words had no hidden message this time, just amazingly comforting truth.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_Susan read the message on her psychic paper for the hundredth time. "All Gallifreyans, come home. There is war. All citizens are required to return and fight."_

_She was fully prepared to leave, except for her child. She wouldn't subject her to that. This era she chose to live in was peaceful and this child had not yet seen war, and Susan was determined to keep it this way for as long as possible._

_She ran quickly to get the vortex manipulator her father had given her. She had used it when she left her parents to go find her grandfather. Only she had run into the wrong one. He was the first incarnation of her grandfather, not the eleventh, with which she grew up. This didn't stop her, however, from traveling with him, he was after all, always the same man; and she had made great friends of Ian and Barbara._

_After she stopped traveling in the TARDIS, she had met a wonderful man, even if he was human. They had fallen in love almost immediately and had a beautiful daughter. But she never told him about her Time Lady origins, there were complications during childbirth that had caused her to regenerate soon after. Her husband couldn't accept the changes and the secrets she had kept from him, so he left._

_So she raised her daughter on her own. She was fine with that. Her parents had always raised her to be independent, and you couldn't travel with the Doctor if you couldn't handle yourself in any given situation. But now she had to leave her daughter completely._

_It didn't take her long after her daughter was born, almost immediately in fact, to realize that she was in fact, her Aunt Leah. She had known that her Aunt had a rough life before she met the Doctor, but she never realized that it would start so soon, and she'd never heard the exact circumstances. She shuddered as she developed her plan of action. She remembered the part her Aunt Leah had in bringing her family back together and how she did so._

_She gathered her daughter up in her arms and strapped the manipulator to her wrist. She quickly showed her how to work it, explaining that she couldn't come with her. She quickly planted several different tidbits of information in her mind to help her find her path to the Doctor so she wouldn't have to be by herself for long, as well as making sure things happened to the best of her recollection of the stories she heard growing up. She didn't give too much away, making sure the locks she put on could only open when the information was absolutely necessary for the safety of her entire family._

_Susan saw a TARDIS materializing close by, not her grandfather's, but what she supposed was the crew collecting all Time Lords to Gallifrey. She knew this could be the last time she ever saw her daughter and was disappointed she had to rush the situation before the guard noticed her daughter. She left her daughter with one final order, not even sure if she heard her._

_"Have a fantastic life, my sweet girl, and whatever you do, you can't let that amazing man live his life alone."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I had a thought that I wanted to run by you guys...  
> Would anyone be interested in me doing a spinoff story for Luke and Leah?  
> I don't have a storyline in mind, just thought it might be an interesting idea. Let me know what you think!


End file.
